God made us to be social – we all need other people in our life. God did is this so that we can have a relationship with Him, but also so you can have encouragement and support you throughout your Christian walk. We need Godly friends. Let us consider Job. Job had 3 friends who came rushing to his side when they heard about his tragedy.
For those of you how are unfamiliar with Job’s story. Job was a very rich good man who loved God very much. God had blessed Job with many things. A large family, seven sons and three daughters, and a lot of animals 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys and many people living and keeping his home. One day Satan came to talk to God and said that Job would not love God if he had not blessed Job with so much. God gave Satan permission to take the things away from Job, but Satan was not allowed to take Job’s health or his life. Satan then took everything, Job’s animals and his children and after this happened Job was sad, but he never turned from God. Again, Satan, spoke with God and said that if Job was not healthy, he would not love God. God gave Satan permission to take Job’s health but he was not allowed to take his life. Satan then caused Job to be covered in sores from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. Job’s wife even told him to curse God and die. With all that, Job never sinned against God. He knew that he should accept both the good and the bad, and that God was always with him.
This is when Job’s 3 friends came to visit.
What do you think they said to Job?
Job’s friends talked to him and told Job he must have done something wrong and sinned against God. That this was God punishing him for his wrong doing. Job knew he had not sinned against God and his friend did not believe that Job had been faithful to God.
Job’s friends failed at being Godly friends! Instead of lifting Job up, they only added to Job’s heartbroken condition.
The Bible gives us clear direction on what a Godly friend should be.
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
As a friend we need to be there to uplift and encourage not find faults in our friends. Friends can help you as you seek to walk with the Lord or they can pull you away.
Remember that your actions affect your friends also…
Do you draw your friends closer to the Lord?
Do you encourage Godly actions?
Do you show God’s love to them?