Friendships

I think it is important to have many friends. Having a good base of friends we can talk things through with could save the need for a paid counselor. One Pastor made the statement a counselor is a paid friend. Proverbs gives us some direction on friends. Proverbs 20:19 "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much." Yes, the Bible actually tells us to avoid gossips. They will tell what they know and do not use judgement in what they say. I have learned this through experience, when you tell anything to a gossip, you can know it will be told to others.  Proverbs 22:24 "Make no friendships with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:"  Proverbs 29:22 "An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression." Here again the Bible tell us not to form friendships with an angry man. They are quick tempered and speak first and think later.  A good friend is someone who has your best interests at heart, like Jesus.  Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of the enemy are deceitful."  A friend will tell us difficult things for us to hear at times but it is to help us. They have our best at heart when they say things that are hurtful or difficult. Sometimes we can be to close to a situation and a good friend can see things we do not see. We need friends that we can trust. Friends that will not tell everything they know.  Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another." We need friends that will tell us the truth as the proverb above says iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another. That is what a good and faithful friend can do for us. Help us to be the best we can be. Jesus is the ultimate friend. Jesus can be trusted with anything you tell him. Jesus has your best interest at heart. Jesus loves you like no other one can. But sometimes we still want a friend with skin on them. Someone we can speak face to face. Look for Godly character in a friend. Someone who patterns his/her life after Jesus Christ. But always include Jesus in your circle of friends, He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. God bless, LVZ.