Jan 22 – FRIENDSHIP!

“He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend” (Proverbs 22:11).

The wise one earns the best friends in this world. Friendship is essential to lead a successful life in the world.

Some years ago, there was an announcement in a magazine which said that whoever sends a correct definition for the word ‘Friendship’ will be awarded a valuable prize. From the thousands received, the one chosen as the best said, “A person who pities his friend and comes forward to help him when the world lets him down is the true fiend.”

Do you know what Jesus Christ will say if asked to define friendship? The Scripture says that the following will be His answer. “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). “By this, we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (I John 3:16).

If you want to learn about friendship, you have to learn it from Jesus Christ alone. In the Old Testament, we read that God remained as a friend to Abraham. Abraham was called “The Friend of God.” God strolled with Enoch. He spoke with Moses face to face. He called Daniel “Greatly Beloved.” Above everything, He descended to earth, chose twelve disciples and befriended them.

How did Jesus Christ reveal his friendliness? Even though He was a glorious King, He stayed with the disciples as an ordinary person by staying, eating and sleeping with them. He shared with the disciples, everything He came to know from the Father. When the Sadducees and the Pharisee came to find fault with the disciples, He did not let them down and advocated for them. In the end, as a mark of good friendship, He dedicated even His own life.

Dear children of God, do you want to build your home with wisdom? Erect Jesus Christ as the pillar there. Be friendly to others just as how Jesus Christ was with His disciples. Extend love to others in the same way as Jesus Christ extended the same to you. Begin your friendship from home. Then, reveal the same everywhere.

To meditate: “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).