This was sent to me on the interent by Bobby Rubalcaba
I thought it would be great to share.
My home website is focused on friendship and
I know how vital it is to have friends because that
is the way God made us, to fellowship with Him and others.
I don't know who wrote it, but it will touch many.
God bless you, Susan
How Do Your Friendships Measure Up?
Friendships are special. They give you a chance to be yourself,
be understood, and be encouraged. And they give you someone to
truly care for - with all their eccentricities and abilities.
Friendships should never be taken for granted, and, in fact,
should be intentionally nurtured and cared for.
Consider your friendships:
Friends are a sheltering tree. When they have this quality,
the branches of your friendship reach out over the lives of
others, giving them shelter, shade, rest, relief, and
encouragement. All of you be of one mind, having compassion
for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be
courteous; not returning evil for evil, or reviling for
reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you
were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing
(1 Peter 3:8-9).
Friends are a comfort. Friends find strength in each other.
When some trouble occurs in your life, you pick up the phone
and call a friend, needing the comfort he/she provides.
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it;
or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
(1 Cor. 12:26).
Friends hold you accountable. They are willing to ask the
hard questions and to remind you of your answers and promises.
They don't allow you to deceive yourself or others around you.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and
someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from
death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20).
Friends are God with skin on. They remind you of your
relationship with God and give support in your walk with
the Lord. They are a special connection to God when you've
lost your perspective, can't seem to read the Bible, or feel
like you're in a spiritual desert. Confess your trespasses
to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
(James 5:16).
Friends provide companionship. Jesus sent His men on missions
two by two. He never sent His men alone. Friendships remind you
that you are not alone in the world. And good friends show up
when you need them - through a phone call, note, or the ringing
of the doorbell. Everyone helped his neighbor, and said to his
brother, "Be of good courage!" (Isaiah 41:6).
Friends are stones in the same building. They give you a sense
of shared purpose in the Kingdom of God. For as the body is one
and has many members, but all the members of that one body,
being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit
we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor. 13:12).
Friends are teammates. Although we live in a culture that
encourages independence and self-reliance, giving one's mind,
talent, and energy to a team beats anything you can do by yourself.
Joining together with another multiplies your joy, brings out
the best in you, and raises your commitment level. Two are
better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall one will lift up his companion. But woe to him
who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.
(Ecc. 4:9-10).
The flip side is equally important. What kind of friend are you
in return? As much as you need a friend to minister to you,
you need to be that kind of friend in return. A man who has
friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who
sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24).
Page layout by Susan for WINGS © 8/16/2001
& Graphics Copyright to graphic artist listed.
Please visit the artist to get your graphics. Thank you.
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