THAT'S MY BESTIE

 JULY 19, 2022

Proverbs 17:17

17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.



Friends is one of those words that has lost much of its meaning. We have hundreds of “friends” on social media, but many of them are people we hardly see and barely know. Even before Facebook, the term “friend” had come to mean just about anybody we are acquainted with.

The Bible uses the term “friend” to mean something deeper, something similar to what we might refer to as “best friends” or besties. Such friendships are both needed and extraordinary. 

It would be easy to blame technology, or more recently a Pandemic, for the ways in which our lives have become distanced and isolated from each other. But the truth is that developing friendship has always been complicated. It requires being intentional and wise. That is why the Book of Proverbs is full of wisdom about what friendship is for and how to pursue meaningful friendships. Being skillful in life means developing wisdom in the area of friendship.


Over the next few days we are going to look at the teaching in Proverbs about friendship. We will jump around a bit in this book of Wisdom, as the verses on this theme are scattered through the book, but when they are pieced together, I believe we will notice that the verses form a powerful picture of Biblical friendship.


First notice that Proverbs cautions that A Friend Changes You (Proverbs 22:24-25 and 13:20) It is tempting to start a study of friendship with all the beautiful proverbs about friends, we will get to those, but the truth is Proverbs makes a point to tell us to be careful who we let into our lives. Friendship changes a person. Be careful about the people you allow into the deepest part of your life is the advice that we read in Proverbs.

A Couple examples for us would be helpful;

Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.” This isn’t a call to detach from certain people. It is a reminder that the people we let into our lives transform us. It is our desire, I would say, for good to transform bad, but the truth is that more often than not it goes the other way. The Apostle Paul expressed it in 1 Corinthians 15:33 this way, “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Then, Proverbs 13:20 says, 20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. The Bible call us to love all people, everyone. But the people we allow deep into our lives should be people who will transform us, and make us better. We become like those with whom we spend the most time. A friend, like the Bible describes inspires you to live up to your best potential. So, let that kind of friend into your life and let them be the Friend that Changes you for the best.