true friendship

[NeedGod]

I posted this on my xanga and figured i should post it on here too...
I was asking myself this morning how much i value friendship...and as i thought my mind wandered farther into the thoughts of friendship and how much people value it.

Then i began asking myself, would you leave or desert your friends simply because your other friends or your opinion leaders loathe them? would you stand up for your friends when others are beating them down. I know most of you will heartily say 'of course'. Mos of you will probably claim you are mose loyal to your friends than ever. However, i realised friendship for most people is seasonal. When all your friend desert one particluar friend, and hanging out with her will mean being sidelined too, well, most people will not stick up for that friend.

What happened to the friendship such as that David and Jonathan shared? True pure friendship that withstands all things and conditions. Jonathan's own dad wanted to kill David, but JOnathan stood by David and was his closest friend. Among all the hatred, Jonathn stood by his friend. I can imagine in Saul's household, people would talk ill of David and gossip him, but Jonathan stood by him. I can imagine at the dinner table, everyone talking about how David was, critisizing him, and i can imagine Jonathan defending him. Think about it, David was vying for the throne, and JOnathan as Saul's son was the heir to that very throne David was fighting for. Such love, such friendship.

[AgapZoe]

Jonathan's example's great, great indeed and thanks for sharing. God bless.

Yea, I tend to ask myself that many a times and at times actually it leads me to giving a benefit of doubt to some extremes but by God's grace, I'm able to balance out and still remain a friend to people, no matter what.

It all zeroes down to the motive behind one's wanting/desiring to be a friend to someone. If your friendship to someone was material, trust me once those material things are over, you'll be out there seeking for another one with material possessions that sate you.

But, as one great man said, "If you want friends, be a friend to people." Then, they'll reciprocate. If your being a friend to someone was just that, being a friend to them (assuming friendship here is known and understood and also it's attributes are familiar to every1 over here), then, no matter what happens, you'll still consider that person a friend and you'll always stand up for them...and whenever they are on the wrong, you rebuke, correct them, in/with love. You stand with them, but not with the wrongs they've done. It comes down to "It is in giving that we receive."

Friendship, true friendship, sees beyond the faults! As a friend of mine says, "It's easy to get friends, but hard to maintain friendship; easy to be a 'Christian' but hard to be Christ like. So if you find a true friend in the Name of Jesus, you have an eternal friend there." View him/her as one. See beyond the curtain called the mortal body. Help him/her stand up, make things right and move on. Help them see Jesus, no matter what the world says.


God bless you all.

[NeedGod]

Today i was thinking back at a time i didn't hold friendship so high in regard. I remember treating strangers better than i treated family and friends, took friendship for granted, but with age came wisdom. I remember my dad saying, no matter how stupid or mean family is, they'll be your last refuge when you've got no friends to run to. But later, when we were at a turning point as a family, some friends came and saw us through. I remember how some friends wouldn't even come into our house for fear of being associated with us. Halima can tell you the details later since she's better with words. But well, my dad's word came back to me about family. I realised some friends are not just friends, they're family you met a little later. I've met people in life who've come through for me in times when i couldn't run to my family. I now know, friends are good, but family is better, but remember also, some friends stop being just friends and become family... Who's had friends come through for them in that major way?

[AgapZoe]

haha,hey Es, don't make me start sibling rivalry here ;-) You know you are better with words than I am ... lol .. maybe I'll give them details later when I really feel 'inspired' to write...

And oh,so true, there are those friends who even stick closer than your flesh brothers, and that brings that verse in Proverbs to my mind, the one about having a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Well, I must say those are the ones that really are manifesting the attribute of Christ of being there come what may. God bless their Souls!

[NeedGod]

Today a friend of mine was talking negatively about another friend and my thoughts ran back to this thread. Its wrong to talk about anyone but good heavens, to talk about a friend is like to hang that friend on a tree. Whew! lesson, don't never talk ill of your friends to peopl, because it just makes them trust you even less

[eagleendtime]

Old adage:

If someone talks bad or ill of someone else, what do they say of you?

Not a friend but an associate I say.

[AgapZoe]

Hmm? true, he that tells you about others, will surely tell others about you. too true ... ever come across ppl who burn to get info just to go feed someone else .. it's like their tongues can't rest in their mouths, they need smth new all the time ... that's a problem I must say, ppl who can't keep things to themselves.

[eagleendtime]

Here is something I came across, author unknown

Real Friends are someone special
Worth more to you than Gold
They'll love you when your hair turns grey
Getting bald or growing old

Now Real Friends don't ever judge you
But they'll tell you when you're wrong
They're someone you can count on
When everyone else is gone

So don't take real friends for granted
Tell them as often as you can
Just howmuch they mean to you
And you're glad to call them friend.

John 15:13




Like the part if you're wrong they'll tell you, but they won't leave you.

[NeedGod]

There is a song that says, He understand, when no one else can. Well, He does.
Recently, I was feeling real low for some reason. Then I could find no one to talk to and I though I was alone for sure. Friendships I had held dear began to crumble and I wondered what in the world was going on. Then I realised it was just God wanting some personal time with me. I had spent too much time making friends I forgot to make friends with God. So He let it all crumble to show me He cares. Oh, I can see it now.
And the wonderful thing is, I have realised that I found friends again. Some old ones, and several new ones. And now I find joy discussing Jesus with them. And that is the only way to find real friendship. In Jesus. Without Jesus, there is no true friendship. Friendships dwindle and die when you comprimise on The Message. When you are with your friends and you find yourself discussing things other than the message the majority of the time, there is something wrong. The thing we have in common is this Message. It is our very life. We should therefore find great pleasure discussing it. Remember, He is a jealous God. Jealously guarding you for your eternal destination. Jealous of anything that will draw you away from Him. So when He sees any sort of friendship is drawing you away, and you are His, He will allow it to fail, because He knows whats best for you. I have had relationships and friendships fail because God was not in there. Let Him in, and you will be surprised at how wonderful it will al become :)
*
I am sory for the lengthy post. I start typing and find so much to say I forget to stop :)

[Benoni]

Today a friend of mine was talking negatively about another friend and my thoughts ran back to this thread. Its wrong to talk about anyone but good heavens, to talk about a friend is like to hang that friend on a tree. Whew! lesson, don't never talk ill of your friends to peopl, because it just makes them trust you even less

I would rather not be talked about any good thing, than a person i refer to as a friend talk ill of me. One thing is funny, when a friend talks, every body will nod, "yeah, must be true, this guy is his friend"

Jesus, was brought by "His friends" before foreigners! How bad it was, but all was good for He was God, He is still God and will forever be God!

[redeemed]

Here is something I came across, author unknown

Real Friends are someone special
Worth more to you than Gold
They'll love you when your hair turns grey
Getting bald or growing old

Now Real Friends don't ever judge you
But they'll tell you when you're wrong
They're someone you can count on
When everyone else is gone

So don't take real friends for granted
Tell them as often as you can
Just howmuch they mean to you
And you're glad to call them friend.

John 15:13




Like the part if you're wrong they'll tell you, but they won't leave you.

I love the part where if you're wrong they'll tell you...I think that's great! And a true description of friendship...I have friends like that...they say, hey I don't think you should do this. But instead of getting mad and leaving me until I change, they try to help me through. If I accept what they say, then they remind me if they catch me doing it again...I think it's awesome to have friends like that! :yay:

[emy_faithgurl]

I'm so glad I have friends like that! Thankyou sister that makes not want to get mad:y14: at them next time any friend corrects me! Friends like that are true blessings from God