God has spoken to my heart so MUCH on the topic of friendship lately...He has ALLOWED me to be stretched and tested through out so many situations. Testing me to see what TYPE of friend will I be. I have failed to be the friend God has called me to be so many times unfortunately.
WHAT TYPE OF FRIEND ARE YOU?
I decided to look up what the bible says about friendship, because I truly don't KNOW.
Did you know the word "friend" is mentioned 90 times in the bible. I believe God is trying to tell
us something. Tell us ALOT. There is so much I needed to be reminded of when it comes to
friendship.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
As I read through this verse (one I have read MANY times), I asked myself, "Am I an example of these verses? God am I a reflection of YOU? I desire to be exactly as HE has created me to be.
I want to be remembered the way JESUS is...
"Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15: 13
So I ask you, (and myself) Will you be a friend of truth, honesty, and integrity. Will you stand up for whats right? The bible says
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are
deceitful" (Prov. 27: 6)
So often I think we as women DESIRE to be loved, not only by our husbands, kids or family...but by our FRIENDS. We seek mans approval and not God's. We change the way we are around certain people so we feel ACCEPTED. We put on MASKS.
I can finally say NO MORE. I want to be the example of Christ. I want people to remember me as a vessel of HONOR. I don't want to be accepted by "others". I want to be accepted in Christ. Only in Him can I find GRACE...Only in Him should I seek APPROVAL. I want to stand up for truth and not dishonesty.
I leave you with this verse...
“A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of
understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a
trustworthy man keeps a secret” Proverbs 11:12-13
God is daily grooming me and stretching me to become more and more like HIM. I will never stop working towards this goal. I will have days where I fall short. Thank You Jesus for your FORGIVENESS and your GRACE. Its Him I'm after, not approval of man and I'm so glad hes tugged at my heart and reminded me what it really means to be a friend.
