I'm not always the friend I should be. Maybe this will help you as it did me.
I was reading Proverbs 21 this morning and I saw many verses that directly or indirectly deal with friendships........here are a few I thought on:
2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
We always think we are right. But it is in our own eyes. That doesn't make it right. If there is an issue that has come up between you and a friend, try to see it as God sees it, not as your flesh does. We will always favor ourselves, that is what brings trouble. If we favored our friend, there would be no issues.
3. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
We need to do right so we don't have to apologize. I used to teach this to my Sunday morning Sunday School girls. Do right and you have nothing to be sorry for. Choose the right way and there is no need for apologies. Don't bring things into your life that you are going to be sorry for later. How many things does this apply to when we are thinking of friendships? Saying tacky things, being unfair, being selfish, wanting our own way, taking the best.......then apologizing?
4. An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
If we can recognize a 'proud heart' before it drags us down, we will have better relationships. Pride is usually what stands between us and peace.........only to be seen too late too many times. Humphhh, our high looks. Ha. What do we have in our life EVER? that would give us the right to have a high look? Well, I will tell you. When we compare how 'good' we are to our 'friend', we can come away with a high look. We are undone and can't even see it. But how well we see it in others.
15. It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Why do we think that only drunkards can be workers of iniquity? Here we are in all of our glory being just as small and ugly as the next guy, but unable to see it. Just how much iniquity does it take to bring destruction? Not much. We all know that one unkind sentence can scar a friendship...........and all the time we are uttering it, we know we should keep our mouth shut. Is it always a joy for us to do right or do we enjoy the other, better?
21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Follow after right things, good things, wise things, pure things and find life, righteousness and honour. Why do we try to find those things in our own way? By demanding our rights, by proclaiming our goodness, by putting others down so we can be lifted up! If we have not found life and honour it is because we are not following after the things that lead us that direction. We are following after our own good ideas.
23. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
I have a picture of a cow and I wrote on it these words: Everything Does Not Need To Be Said. Follow it and live! Instead of saying those things that come into our minds that are less than lovely, why don't we cast them from ourselves? Why do we think on them, form words and then be haughty? Just think of the troubles we would be spared if we kept our tongue. You might still have flat tires and broken fingernails, but that is much better than troubles coming from ungoverned lips.
24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
Hello, this is my friend........Proud and Haughty. How would we like if somebody introduced us as we really are sometimes? Hello, this is my proud and froward friend that can't keep his/her tongue. Those that deal in proud wrath are usually the ones that are waiting for the other to do right..........they are full of indignation of what they have to put up with and are just waiting waiting waiting for things to straighten up without humbling themselves.
31. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
Go ahead, fix your horse up, get everything all ready for the battle, do what you can to be strong in your own might.............see how far you trot. Here we come, all glorious on our battle- ready horse, only to fall off.
Don't forget that there is safety in the LORD when it comes to every single matter in your life.
I was reading Proverbs 21 this morning and I saw many verses that directly or indirectly deal with friendships........here are a few I thought on:
2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
We always think we are right. But it is in our own eyes. That doesn't make it right. If there is an issue that has come up between you and a friend, try to see it as God sees it, not as your flesh does. We will always favor ourselves, that is what brings trouble. If we favored our friend, there would be no issues.
3. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
We need to do right so we don't have to apologize. I used to teach this to my Sunday morning Sunday School girls. Do right and you have nothing to be sorry for. Choose the right way and there is no need for apologies. Don't bring things into your life that you are going to be sorry for later. How many things does this apply to when we are thinking of friendships? Saying tacky things, being unfair, being selfish, wanting our own way, taking the best.......then apologizing?
4. An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
If we can recognize a 'proud heart' before it drags us down, we will have better relationships. Pride is usually what stands between us and peace.........only to be seen too late too many times. Humphhh, our high looks. Ha. What do we have in our life EVER? that would give us the right to have a high look? Well, I will tell you. When we compare how 'good' we are to our 'friend', we can come away with a high look. We are undone and can't even see it. But how well we see it in others.
15. It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Why do we think that only drunkards can be workers of iniquity? Here we are in all of our glory being just as small and ugly as the next guy, but unable to see it. Just how much iniquity does it take to bring destruction? Not much. We all know that one unkind sentence can scar a friendship...........and all the time we are uttering it, we know we should keep our mouth shut. Is it always a joy for us to do right or do we enjoy the other, better?
21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Follow after right things, good things, wise things, pure things and find life, righteousness and honour. Why do we try to find those things in our own way? By demanding our rights, by proclaiming our goodness, by putting others down so we can be lifted up! If we have not found life and honour it is because we are not following after the things that lead us that direction. We are following after our own good ideas.
23. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
I have a picture of a cow and I wrote on it these words: Everything Does Not Need To Be Said. Follow it and live! Instead of saying those things that come into our minds that are less than lovely, why don't we cast them from ourselves? Why do we think on them, form words and then be haughty? Just think of the troubles we would be spared if we kept our tongue. You might still have flat tires and broken fingernails, but that is much better than troubles coming from ungoverned lips.
24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
Hello, this is my friend........Proud and Haughty. How would we like if somebody introduced us as we really are sometimes? Hello, this is my proud and froward friend that can't keep his/her tongue. Those that deal in proud wrath are usually the ones that are waiting for the other to do right..........they are full of indignation of what they have to put up with and are just waiting waiting waiting for things to straighten up without humbling themselves.
31. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
Go ahead, fix your horse up, get everything all ready for the battle, do what you can to be strong in your own might.............see how far you trot. Here we come, all glorious on our battle- ready horse, only to fall off.
Don't forget that there is safety in the LORD when it comes to every single matter in your life.
Comments
Ouch...thanks for the thoughts.
Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."