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You've Got a Friend in Me

 
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"Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends." ~H. Jackson Brown Jr., author of Life's Little Instruction Book

🎕 It all starts with who can stay up the latest at a sleepover in elementary.  Then in middle school it's who will stand up with you against the school bully.  In high school you only need to find one other person to be your bestie to go for chocolate covered cream-filled  long john donuts or help you with Chemistry, or your hair/makeup/outfit/everything.  

Friends.  As you age, you call them when your kids are sick, or behaving weird, or you need their recipe.  You share the sale you found and the  movie you love.  You can't wait to tell them so they can celebrate with you, or you need their advice because you're going to lose your mind.  You gut-laugh with them, and at times gut-cry with them.  

🎕 There are such great examples of friends in the bible.  Love, loyalty, trust and commitment are the foundation of all of them.

David and Jonathan fought alongside each other in numerous battles and forged a kindred bond that literally saved David's life (1 Sam 18:1-3):


🎕 Friendship among women is incredible.  I talked about Ruth and Naomi in my "Little Women part 2" blog a while back.  They demonstrate how strong and committed women can be to support each other through the hard times (Ruth 1:16).  

🎕 And what about the three Marys in the New Testament?  With dedication they listened, learned and loved Jesus throughout His whole ministry, then had to witness His cruel and undeserved death.  I'm sure they couldn't even find words, just tears, to express the agony and painful loss they endured when Jesus died. The worst days of their lives.



But imagine, as Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection, how they shared the most incredible joy and elation for what their Savior had done!  The best days of their lives.

🎕 Isn't that how friendship ages with us?  We rely on the companionship and trustworthiness of close friends to hold us up when we need it and let us celebrate together when the good things happen.  This life would be devastatingly lonely without friends, wouldn't it? 

How can we be better friends, with love at the foundation of it?

    🎕 Commit to pray for the spiritual growth of our friends  (Col 1: 9-12)

    🎕 Forgive them  and ask for forgiveness when needed  (Prov 17:17)

    🎕 Be thankful for your friends - tell them and tell God  (Col 3:16)

    🎕 Take time to listen & encourage them  (1 Thess 5:11) 

    🎕 Enjoy them, laugh with them, lean on them, let them lean on you  (Prov 27:9)



🎕 Let's be sure they know they have a friend in Jesus and in us. 

✙ Dear Heavenly Father, You have called us friends, and we desire Your friendship more than anything. Thank you for the people You have placed in our lives that encourage us and we can depend on.  Help us  to look through Your eyes and enable us to freely love on our friends.  Amen.






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