When the Bible talks of friendship, it expresses clearly to us warnings, challenges, and blessings.
The Bible warns us to choose our friends wisely; Proverbs 12:26 says, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” When choosing a friend, especially a best friend, we should make sure he or she is a growing Christian. If he has a good relationship with Jesus, it will help him to be a good friend and to lead you away from sinful choices instead of toward them. For instance, if you befriend an angry person, it could lead you into trouble. Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” You are who you hang out with, either by your own actions or the reputation of the one you’re with. The Apostle James also spoke to friendship; “...Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Making wise friend choices is a serious matter.
The Bible also challenges us when it comes to friendship. Proverbs 18:24a says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly...” The challenge is that if you want to have a friend, go be one! Pray and ask God to show you someone to be friendly to and you just might discover the best friend you’ve ever had. Jesus wants to be your friend; John 15:14 says, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” The challenge to being Jesus’ friend is choosing to pursue a righteous and obedient life. You cannot live like the world and be a friend to The Lord.
What are the blessings of friendship? Jesus desires to call us friends and to be the best friend anyone could ever have! Proverbs 18:24 says, “...but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” The only One who could be closer than a blood-related person such as a brother, is the One who lives within you if you’re saved, Jesus. He is the God of all comfort and The Prince of Peace who will never leave you or cast you aside for another. No matter what your past is like, He wants to be your friend now. The Bible tells us that Jesus is a friend to outcasts and sinners; Matthew 11:19a says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” So, don’t think you have to clean yourself up to be His friend! Be His friend and let Him clean you up. If you will seek after Him, Jesus said in John 15:15, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Making Jesus your best friend is not only choosing a friend wisely, but it’s also choosing the best friend you’ll ever have!
