“Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth— a stranger, not your own lips. A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier. Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous. An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry. A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Never abandon a friend— either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad. Then I will be able to answer my critics. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners. A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse! A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Proverbs 27:1-17 NLT
As the Bible takes its inspiration from a transcendent being who is three persons in n polity of one essence, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine that it places a great emphasis on relationships. All Christians should easily understand, not only the utilitarian value of friendship, but also the substantive need for it. Humans are oriented toward valuing relationships. We are by nature relational creatures. The first (and pre sin) negative statement in scripture is “it is not good for man to be alone.” Therefore it should not surprise us that part of the fruit of wisdom bears out in friendship. True friendship is a testament to wisdom, or foolishness. How we treat and value each other and, subsequently, how we are treated and valued, is a testament to whether we are wise or foolish. This is important for our very humanity. Too many people go claim to know God believe that they should only want God because they only need God. But tho a wise man does not trade God for his friends, he should be oriented toward wanting friends. He should do everything in his power to cultivate these healthy relationships, knowing that being a good friend is akin to an act of worship. It acknowledges where the desire for friendship comes from.
JOSH McGARY.COM 