“Thank God For Friends”

“A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure. There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend and no scales can measure his excellence. A faithful friend is an elixir of life; and those who fear the Lord will find him.” (Sirach 6:14-16) 

I have been blessed to have had many true friends throughout my life. Being around them changed my life; their example helped me to grow stronger as a man and especially as a Christian man. I recall my good friend Mike from high school/college and beyond. He had many excellent qualities…. Confident, kind, a good athlete, smart, and funny. Mike was a leader. Without thinking about it, I would emulate many of his mannerisms…. how he greeted people, clearly stating his name and offering a handshake, how he set high goals for his life. We would laugh a lot together even in some tough times.  Knowing Mike helped me to navigate through some difficult years in my early life.

I’m not a handy man. I grew up in a 3^rd floor apartment where Joe the Janitor would handle any maintenance needs. I think we did have a hammer and screwdriver. Several years ago my friend Frank offered to help me make a table for our front hall. He taught me how to use tools I didn’t even know the names of… a plainer, router, various saws. He was so patient…showing me again and again but allowing me to actually do the cuts. The end product was magnificent… “my pride and joy”. He was kind and generous in helping me. Frank exhibits so many  Christian virtues and character qualities. He is a model of a strong man of God. Knowing him has not only helped me to be somewhat of a craftsman, but has helped me be a stronger man of God. 

Friends are a gift from God. How do you find such friends? It’s a great blessing to have even one friend. Scripture gives many insights into friendship:

• “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” —Galatians 6:28
• “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” —1 John 4:11
• “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.” —Job 16:20-21
• “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” —1 Thessalonians 5:11
• “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” —1 Peter 4:8-10

C.S. Lewis advises that “friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”  When you discover a person who has also decided to follow Jesus, you have the beginning of a true friendship….. walking side by side in serving the Lord.  When you stumble and fall, he is there to pick you up… and you’re there for him when he falls. 

 This world can be tough…too tough to go it alone. We need true friends to help us. Jesus is our greatest friend (and only savior), but he gives us other friends to walk along side us. And that is very good news.