Who are your real friends?

Bible Text: Matthew 26:56  “But all this has happened in order to make what the prophets wrote in the Scriptures come true.” Then all the disciples left him and ran away.” Read Matthew 26:47-56.

Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 15:33, Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character.”

The word is daily experiencing massive changes, while some say these changes are brilliant, others might beg to differ. One of such changes is the availability of world wide web and social media platforms where we post and share almost all things and everything, from what we have for breakfast to the pyjamas we wear to bed. As a result of this availability and the vulnerabilities that comes with it which we aren’t conscious about, people build diverse opinions about our lives based on either what they read posted by ourselves or others and it becomes natural for people to draw a conclusion about knowing exactly who we are.

While social platforms bridge a lot of gaps and serves as a global one stop shop, the time consumed in maintaining these platforms and keeping our virtual friends happy has a way of adversely affecting  our true friendships. This is because the closure, physical interaction, persona, demeanor and a host of other qualities derived from the old fashioned style of friendship is daily diminished by these platforms. You can pray with someone on the phone but the realness of being in the same room, holding hands while you pray differ from each other.     

I am not saying get rid of your social platforms, I am only calling for a balance. Building, keeping and maintaining real, true and Godly friends apart from virtual/ghost ones is an essentiality for our day to day living and Christ encourages us in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, to keep good friends who will be there for us when the going gets tough.   

We all know how these platforms are wired, we easily build a community of followers consisting of known and ghost followers who keep close tabs on our day to day activities, like and comment on our posts, share them and a host of other things. For some, that increased count of followers and likes gives them the closure and satisfaction they desire but the underlying fact is, most of the media platform followers are not real and reachable friends. They might know you in and out because your privacy is breached but most times even the real ones are unavailable or unreachable in actual times of need. It is hereby important to build good company who can be there for you and of help in times of need and likewise help build each other up in the most holy faith.

You can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep and this is why it is important to have friends who are Christ like. An old adage says “show me your friend and I will tell you whom you are” while the scripture buttresses this fact by saying in Proverbs 18:24, that “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

Jonathan according to 1 Samuel 18 was a true friend of David, he was there in the time of need and was ready and able to sacrifice all so that David could remain alive to become king. Imagine

Jonathan was one of the corruptible ones, it would have needed God’s divine intervention for David to remain alive talk less of occupying the position of a King.

In light of this, I have some questions for you to ponder on; who are your true friends? Who are you as a friend? Are you of a good character? Could you be vouched for or can another friend be reliant on you? Are you a ghost friend?

A whole lot of damage is being done in today’s world to lives of people who are Christians but still hanging out with their old corruptible and untrue friends. Such only find themselves getting pulled back into the world and struggling daily with their relationship with God. When you become a new believer, you cannot continue hanging out with the old friends like you used to and think you will not be adversely affected. I am not saying you shouldn’t mingle with non-Christians or old friends but when they begin to have a negative effect on your spiritual life, then maybe it’s time to loosen the tie ups.

Becoming renewed in God and asking for grace in choosing your friends are key. Through this you can be rest assured not to be left hanging in the days of adversity, when you need true encouragement in your Christian journey and in handling issues arising in day to day life.

Prayers:

• Thank you Jesus for being a father and a friend
• Help me to choose my friends wisely and empower me to be a good friend also
• Help me Lord to balance life and not to waste good time on friendship that has less benefits
• Forgive my iniquities Lord and let your mercy prevail over judgement
• Thank you Father and in Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

I’m reading the YouVersion plan ‘Bible in One Year 2020 With Nicky Gumbel’. Check it out by clicking on the caption below.