That’s What Friends Are For

Great friends surround me. Each day around Church, I witness and participate in an onslaught of bear hugs, extremely hard laughing,  jokes, and judo chops. This is how guys express their affection and friendship. In a man’s world, a good friend does not have to be an eloquent communicator. A good friend is someone we trust, count on, stands with you through hard times, and believes in you. I think about how Jesus is such a good friend to me. He trusts me with His Word and representing His love to others. He counts on me to tell others about His plan of salvation. He stands with me through hard times. He believes in me, even though I doubt, and so aware of my inability. There is another important trait of a good friend. A good friend is willing to tell you how it really is. A true friend is willing to count the cost, willing to come off as the bad guy because the truth is better for the man. In John 8:42-45, we see Jesus telling his audience the truth. Not what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to hear. This is the same Lord ‘not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’(2 Peter 3:9) Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful. (Proverbs 27:6) A true friend won’t hold back when you’re heading in the wrong direction, on a path of pain, or making a fool of yourself. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Tim 4:2). Sometimes we don’t confront because we feel like we have no business doing so. We are aware that we have our own issues. We’re right! We got issues and plenty of them. But this authority is based on Jesus’ love and righteousness and not based on us. It is based on the authority of His Word. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Titus 2:15