Galatians 5:13 (Amplified Bible)
13For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for [a]selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.
What About Your Friends?
Today’s Message in the Music comes from “What About Your Friends” by the group TLC. The chorus of the song says “What about your friends. Will they stand their ground. Will they let you down again……………
Talking to Lisa about things that have transpired in my life, I realize I don’t have has many “true” friends as I thought I did. Looking back at relationships we’ve been involved in over the years, we remembered how many times without fail, we opened up our hearts to people who cherished us as long as we benefited them. We recalled relationships were we had forgiven wrong after wrong after wrong, but when we needed forgiveness it was returned with abandonment and judgment. It’s such a relief to know that when we ask God for forgiveness, He doesn’t make us beg for it or drag it out; He forgives us and keeps it moving. It’s also a great thing that He doesn’t love us based on our behaviors, because if He did, we would never see another blessing this side of heaven.
I told Lisa that I just didn’t understand it. I feel like I wasted so much time on one particular friendship and for what? For one incident to completely change the entire course of the world. I was hurt and very upset, but Lisa spoke life and peace into me. She helped me see the situation from a whole new viewpoint as well as my fault in the whole matter. That’s what a real friend does. They don’t sugar coat it or dress it up to make you feel better. They tell it to you straight up so you can learn from it, change and grow into a better person.
A lot of times in life when we go through things we seek out advice from people who are not qualified to give it. So many times in life we receive advice from people whose motives are all wrong, or who do not have all the facts. Some times we take advice from people - - - - - - - - who would not follow their own course of action if they were in the same situation. A good friend of mine once told me “You have to do what makes you happy and gives you peace at the end of the night”.
In life I’ve had to learn that everybody who whispers in my ear, does not have my best interest at heart. Some people speak out of jealousy, spite, and their own situations. At the end of the day I have to do what’s best for me because when the sun goes down, everybody goes home to the life they have created and then I’m left alone to figure out what to do next, because I listened to a “friend” who really wasn’t looking out for me. It’s like the co-worker who hates their job as much as you, tells you to quit but (unknown to you) they are applying for a promotion within the same company. You quit and now they are vice president of the company. You’re on the verge of losing your house, family, car, and sanity and their life hasn’t skipped one beat. They are home every night reading bedtime stories to the kids and watching an episode of CSI with their spouse before bed.
Like the word love, we use the word friend too loosely. A true friend is always there for you. They don’t give up on you or walk out you when stop living up to their standards. They pray for you, even after you hurt them. They believe in you and stand in your corner when the rest of the world has written you off. A friend loves you for who you are, and not for what you can do for them. I so glad that Jesus is our friend and that He was not ashamed to tell the world. The Bible says that no greater love is there than to lay down your life for another. Well, we all know that Jesus did that, and then some. So today when you look at your circle of friends, are you surrounded by those who are willing to lay down their lives for you, or are you surrounded by those who are just laying down on you……………………
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