I have only three friends! This isn't because I am a sad loner, this is because I am selective and specific about who I call a friend. So many people come to me and say they want to be my friend but what they are really saying is that they want me to be their friend... if you know what I mean? What they are really saying is that they want me to be there for them, me to stay in touch with them, me to run around after all their needs. When the time comes that I have a need or when perhaps my world starts falling apart, where are all these people that said that they wanted to be my friend? Nowhere to be found - the relationship has become work and they have run off to find someone else who will make them happy!
This is not a negative, have a go at people post. This is a let's get real post. How many friends do you really have? I am passionate about building a church where people really care and where real friendships are grown. Of course we serve each others needs, of course we allow people close to us knowing that we will get hurt. More often than not a friendship starts with superficial things but I want to see people go deeper. I don't know what it's like in other countries but in England people are so very lonely. Real friendship doesn't seem to exist and small talk and complaining seem to be the order of the day. Didn't Jesus say that the world would know that we are His disciples by our love for one another? Christians I challenge you, stop adding people to your FaceBook page so that you can look popular, stop being the princess of small talk. and gossip Get down to the nitty gritty stuff, go beyond the needs of your flesh, get down to the often messy business of real, deep, meaningful relationships - so that the world will see Jesus in us.
My three friends have been my friend through all the season of my life. When things got tough they got their hands dirty with me, when money was tight they dug deep into their pockets to help me, when I was a pain the bum they still loved me. Even if I tried I could not shake these three people off. They have taken the time to understand my likes, my needs and my preferences. They have gone to great and uncomfortable lengths to express their love to me and they have always been there for me whenever I need them. My only hope is that I have been as good a friend to them.
I treasure my three friends and it may be a long time before I can proudly blog that I have a new friend because friendship take years to build and have to be tried and tested through every season. Jonathan and David understood friendship, they took it seriously to the point of making it official through a covenant. How seriously do we take our friendships today. Do we covenant that no matter what we will stick by them? Are we prepared to be inconvenienced and made uncomfortable by or for them.
Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Yes I have wounds and yes I have wounded but through it all I can safely say I have three real friends.
This is not a negative, have a go at people post. This is a let's get real post. How many friends do you really have? I am passionate about building a church where people really care and where real friendships are grown. Of course we serve each others needs, of course we allow people close to us knowing that we will get hurt. More often than not a friendship starts with superficial things but I want to see people go deeper. I don't know what it's like in other countries but in England people are so very lonely. Real friendship doesn't seem to exist and small talk and complaining seem to be the order of the day. Didn't Jesus say that the world would know that we are His disciples by our love for one another? Christians I challenge you, stop adding people to your FaceBook page so that you can look popular, stop being the princess of small talk. and gossip Get down to the nitty gritty stuff, go beyond the needs of your flesh, get down to the often messy business of real, deep, meaningful relationships - so that the world will see Jesus in us.
My three friends have been my friend through all the season of my life. When things got tough they got their hands dirty with me, when money was tight they dug deep into their pockets to help me, when I was a pain the bum they still loved me. Even if I tried I could not shake these three people off. They have taken the time to understand my likes, my needs and my preferences. They have gone to great and uncomfortable lengths to express their love to me and they have always been there for me whenever I need them. My only hope is that I have been as good a friend to them.
I treasure my three friends and it may be a long time before I can proudly blog that I have a new friend because friendship take years to build and have to be tried and tested through every season. Jonathan and David understood friendship, they took it seriously to the point of making it official through a covenant. How seriously do we take our friendships today. Do we covenant that no matter what we will stick by them? Are we prepared to be inconvenienced and made uncomfortable by or for them.
Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Yes I have wounds and yes I have wounded but through it all I can safely say I have three real friends.
I love the new look and your super cute picture!! This is a great post. I totally understood what you meant when you said people want us to be friends to them. I guess that's part of the ministry role, but it can be hard to see people's motives right away. It is so hard to build the life long, deep friendships. It is my hearts goal to do so...but it is work. I need to work harder and make sure that I am being a friend to others as I want them to be a friend to me.
ReplyDeleteAs always...GREAT STUFF!!!