Friend or Friendly?

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs17:17NLT

I can look back to a time when I didn’t want, or need any friends around me. I had brothers in Christ that I counted as friendly and would have responded or helped if I had asked them. But I didn’t need them. Then my wife died and everything changed.

It’s easy to gather friends and followers if you are on any of the social media sites. Some in the younger generation put great store on their friend count because it is important to have someone you can call a friend, and the more the merrier it seems. Sadly these bonds are shallow and do not reflect real or true friendships. But how do you test if someone is a true friend because there will come a time when you need to know as I did.

The tests are obvious, but are only confirmed and found in times of stress, trouble, or need. In my case being left alone, but I had an advantage because around me was a body of believers, some of whom had been where I stood now. In fact, the bigger truth is that the family of God is greater than your local church, and that is what I found. I confess to being surprised at the open willingness to help and support in any way possible, and I should not have been surprised at all. All those sermons about brotherly love, and the love of Jesus were good to hear and welcome at head level, but now the heart was involved.

Real friends are always loyal, and come what may, will be there when you need them. The truth is they were always there in the shadows just like the Saviour, I just didn’t know it then, but I know it now and I am thankful for my friends. To my real friends, true friends, loyal friends who stepped up in my time of need, I say simply Thank You!

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1John4:7NIV