How many friends would you have if you could do nothing for them?
February 20th, 2007 by Brian Fegter 
Proverbs 18:24 - “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
The “real” world says relationships and friendships are give and take. You fulfill some sort of need in my life and in return I will do the same for you. The problem with this scenario is that when I am incapable of providing what you need, you are left with unfulfilled expectations. Unfulfilled expectations leave a person feeling disappointed or betrayed.
True Biblical relationships are not 50/50. They are 100/100 where each person gives everything of themselves and doesn’t ask anything in return. The way this works is the other person is motivated by the giving of the other. It is an endless loop of giving to one another.
You can apply this to any relationship from family to peer friendships, and even to romantic relationships. The key is to establish the endless loop of giving to one another and refuse to participate in a give/take relationship.
Let’s break down Proverbs 18:24. When you show yourself friendly, the other person will be so moved and motivated by your kindness and compassion on them that they will return the same. The cycle doesn’t start with the other person, it starts with YOU. Once this is concreted in your relationship, Proverbs says this will produce a friend that sticks closer than a blood brother.
Take a moment to look at your friendships. Who do you hang around simply because they can provide something for you? Who hangs around you to partake of your services and possessions?
How many friends would you have if you could do nothing for them?
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Category: Personal Growth | 
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Thank God for my friends because I don’t really have much to give but I still have them. Almost every time I believe that you will see whom your true friends are when you’re going through a hard time. In the past I’ve had friends who were just around me because I was popular in school from football and being a twin, but as soon as I totally sold out to God, they left me. I was sad but I know it was for the better. There is an old saying of the tree being compared to how friends are. Some friends are like leaves; they go and come within a season. There are other friends who are like dried out branches who you think are good, but as soon as they are tested and tried they diminish. Then there are friends who are like roots; they stay for a lifetime. We must be able to distinguish the leaves and branches from the roots.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Truth, Great illustration about the tree. Roots help grow fruit. It’s important to keep company with those who will help you grow.