Midweek Devotion Friendship

Friendship is important. We all have different expectations out of our friends. Some of us have a lot of friends and others have just a few close friends and lots of acquaintances. When I was growing up I was a member of the Boy Scouts of America. We had an oath that we were supposed to live by that defined the qualities that a scout should have. The oath says that a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. These are the qualities that every scout was expected to have. Many of these qualities would also define a good friend. A true friend should be loyal, trustworthy, friendly, courteous, kind and brave.

There are other qualities that we might add such as being a good listener an encourager, and forgiving. We all need somebody sometime. Jonathan put the needs of his friend above the needs of his father. The Bible tells us that Jonathan loved David as himself. 1 Samuel 20:16-17 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." [17] And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

True friendship involves a mutual commitment inspired by mutual affinities. In the natural realm David and Jonathan were both young, strong, brave warriors, they loved the outdoors, and they were both natural leaders. In the spiritual realm they shared a zeal for the Lord. True Friendship Is Based on God-Given Love and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. A true friend can be trusted during times of danger and confusion. Whom would we seek out for help? What type of help would we get? Who would seek us out? What type of help would they get? A true friend does not hesitate to make and keep promises. In true friendship there should be no rivalry, but a sincere desire to see God’s best worked out for each other; sometimes promises need to be repeated and commitments reaffirmed love must always be central. True friendship shares the full range of the emotional spectrum and especially grieves at the necessity of separation.

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." [44] Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. [45] Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Unlike some of the others Philip did not drop everything and follow Jesus. He went to find his friend Nathaniel. Philip wanted to share this good news with his friend. He was bursting with joy that he had found the Messiah. He had to share this news with his friend. Have you felt like this? Do you have friends that have not met Christ and are just waiting for you to share the good news with them? How much do you care about your friends? Are you like Philip? Philip gives us a good example of how a friend is supposed to act.