Ain’t It Good To Know
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17
What would we do without friends? Real friends are there for us. Most folks only have a few really good friends. Many of us could count our trustworthy friends on one hand. We all have lots of acquaintances, but few completely dependable friends. They keep us on our toes. They challenge us to reach new levels in our spiritual growth as well as our daily interactions with others. They cry with us; they laugh with us, not at us. They don’t judge us. A real friend doesn’t care if we raid their refrigerator, borrow their truck, or ask for a favor. Proverbs 18:24(b) tells us that “there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother”. Sometimes our friends are closer to us than our relatives.
Proverbs 27:6 says “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”. They tell us what we need to hear, not always what we want to hear. A real friend will tell us something so simple as when we have a piece of spinach on our teeth as well as something much more personal regarding our thoughts and behavior during those times when we veer off the straight and narrow. They won’t judge us, but lovingly help us back on the right track. Someone who is not a true friend will usually let us continue on our merry, or not so merry, way on down the track until we experience a hurtful train wreck. Believe it or not, there are folks who get some sort of cheap thrill from seeing us fall flat on our faces. Anyone who enjoys our suffering is definitely not our friend, and neither are we a friend if we are indifferent or even a little happy about another’s trouble. Proverbs 17:5 warns us that “he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.” A friend will tell us the truth and be honest with us. A friend who lies to us, even to keep from hurting our feelings, is not really our friend. Sooner or later we find out that what he or she said was not true, and that can cause us to begin to doubt our relationship. Sometimes the truth hurts, but a lie can end up a lot more painful in the long run.
Jesus said in John 15:13 that the greatest love is demonstrated in laying down one’s life for his friends He also said in John 15:15 that He calls His followers His friends, not His servants. He went on to say that “all things that He had heard of His Father He has made known to His friends”. Servants aren’t usually privy to the innermost thoughts of their masters. Friends, on the other hand, are privileged to be in the inner sanctum of the King. Just think about that for a moment. I guess one could say that to be in this privileged position is like being in the ultimate “in crowd”. If you are like me, you were not part of the “in crowd” in high school, you know, the popular kids, usually those who came from the affluent side of town who were in the homecoming court and/or among the “Who’s Who” of your graduating class. They were the jocks on the football team, the cheerleaders, and the honor graduates. I didn’t really care, though, for my friends and I had our own “in crowd”. These “cliques” from the richest to the poorest kids were evident then, and they still are today, even in churches, sad to say. Folks tend to hang out with other folks of the same race, socio-economic status, and the same part of town. I don’t think there will be any “cliques” in heaven except maybe for one giant “clique” that will include everyone who has been redeemed by Christ.
It’s good to know that one doesn’t have to be popular among his or her peers or wealthy to be in the ultimate “in crowd”, the one whose leader is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and all of His followers will be treated as His best friends. I thought about that song that was popular several years ago by Carole King and James Taylor, “You’ve Got a Friend”. That song, like many other popular songs that have been written and sung over the years, could be a Christian song with just a few changes in the lyrics. The chorus of this particular song says, “Winter, spring, summer, or fall/All you got to do is call/and I’ll be there, yes I will/You’ve got a friend”. Ain’t it good to know that we have a real Friend in Jesus?