Scripture Reading - Proverbs 18:24 "A man who has friends must himself be friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. "
Our lives are not meant for us to live alone. One of the greatest dangers we can enter into is the place of isolation. The very culture we live in today lends itself to this very problem. A friend of mine once wrote a paper in college titled, "The Vanishing of the Front Porch in America". People either don't take the time to spend with others or possibly they believe they don't have the time to culture and nourish friendships. This leads us to points in our lives in which we feel isolated and alone, and it is at these times in which we are easy prey for the snares of the devil. Most families are now isolated to friendships within their homes even if they even exist there. In my home, my family is together for probably 4 awake hours each day. Sadly, that time is mostly spent by us in 4 separate rooms. How can friendships and relationships be cultivated when we do not prioritize our time and purpose to develop these relationships. Our greatest friend, who is Jesus Christ Himself, He is the one who will stick closer than any brother desires us to spend as much time with Him as we will. Are you cultivating and developing that relationship with Him? There are times when we need friends who are not part of our family. Are you cultivating and developing these relationships? You see, we need to actively apply today's scripture to our lives and be friendly with others. Do not wait until someone approaches you. Be very active in seeking friendship. We do this by first being friendly ourselves. I am amazed by how little I know about some who attend my church. I have went for years with some of these wonderful people, but I have not taken the time to develop close friendships with them. I will work towards that. I think this is a problem throughout churches in America. We have a choice of leaving things as they are, or we can seek God's help in changing these things. I know God wants us to close and personal with other believers. Take a look at the success of the Internet social networking sites FaceBook and MySpace. The reason they are so successful is that people have a desire for friendship. Friendships that have been dormant for years are being rekindled. What a great thing it would be if the Body of Christ would band together as well. Man was not meant to be alone!!!
Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!
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It is sad to say that less than 2 months ago, our Sunday School Super spoke about this very issue on friends inside the church and we listened but did very little to work on those relationships. We must allow God to work in us before He can work through us. Love is the key, not just for those that Love us in return but for everyone that we come in contact with.
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