Friendship is a valuable and precious gift from God. Unlike family, people choose their friends. There is no obligation to be around you or spend time with you. But because they love you, a friend will gladly give you their time and energy. A friend will extend their heart and share their resources without hesitation or thoughts of self.
Using words to define “friendship” is hard. There are several definitions that approximate the meaning of friendship: being loyal and affectionate, having an interest and desire to associate, sharing mutual support and admiration. But friendship, like love, is hard to capture with words. You just know it when you see it or feel it.
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (ESV).
My mother had a cousin named Gloria. Gloria died of breast cancer several years ago. One day as I was going through Mom’s vast collection of photos, I noticed something: Gloria was in at least one picture taken at all of our family events.
When we had a wedding, Gloria was there. At graduations from elementary school through college, Gloria was there. At funerals of relatives that were not her own and that required her to travel hundreds of miles from home, Gloria was there to support my mother. Someone snapped a picture of a group of people sitting in a hospital waiting room. And Gloria was sitting in an uncomfortable chair with a blue jacket thrown across her chest.
She never announced her presence. I am sure that she said hello to me just like she greeted everyone else during these gatherings and events. But I never knew how constant she was until after she had passed away and pictures spoke the thousand words of her heart. Those pictures testified of her love, her loyalty, her consistent and unyielding support of my mother. Gloria was more than my mother’s cousin. Gloria was her friend.
The Wise Woman has a Friend who will stick closer than a brother.
Yeshua said to His disciples in John 15:15 (NIV): “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Wise Woman, you, as a follower of Messiah Yeshua, are His disciple. And therefore, you are His friend. You have the best Friend that you could ever imagine. Your Friend loves you unconditionally. He will tell you everything that you need to know about God. And He will never take His love or His friendship away from you.
And if you desire to share friendship on earth, ask God to send you a friend. He will gladly send you a sister-friend to build you up, to speak the truth in love to you, and to stick closer to you than a brother (or sister).
Some versions of the Bible offer this translation of Proverbs 18:24: A man with friends must show himself friendly.
So, Wise Woman, may you be blessed to have a friend. And may you be blessed to be a friend.
More Articles to Enjoy:
Perfect Love for the Wise Woman
Freedom in Forgiveness for the Wise Woman
Daily Affirmations to Speak Life for the Wise Woman
