Dale Ridge church of Christ

            We all have those that we count as friends, and some of our friends may be closer to us than others. When we consider our friends, we could probably point out certain qualities about them that stand out and make them special to us.

            In consideration of these particular qualities, let us contemplate this question: If we could design the perfect friend, what would he or she be like? What characteristics would he or she have? Who would our perfect model of a friend resemble? Let us consider three scriptures that deal with certain qualities of a friend, and then, look at the question of “Who would be the ideal friend?”

            In Prov. 17:17, we read how “a friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” A true friend will love you no matter what and will be there for you through the good times and the bad. Even when we are at our most unlovable state and in our darkest hour, a true friend will stand by us.

            In Prov. 18:24, King Solomon writes, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” A true friend will act as a friend should and will sometimes seem closer than our own families at times. The old cliche’ “To have friends, you must be a friend” definitely rings true.

            In Prov. 27:6, we find the words, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Sometimes, a true friend must “wound” us by telling us something that may hurt our feelings but is needful for us to hear. When someone truly loves us, he or she must help us to change an unfavorable behavior or to understand a situation that must be corrected.

After examining of these Scriptures, let us ask ourselves, “Who would be the ideal friend?” Our answer is simple: Jesus Christ. In addition to exemplifying the qualities mentioned above, Jesus proved He was the best friend that we could ever have by giving His life in exchange for ours. We should have been the ones to die upon that cruel cross, but instead, Christ died for us. What greater friend could we have?

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Filed under: Devotional, Michael Carter on January 26th, 2009