FRIENDSHIP

Proverbs 12:26; 18:24; 22:24
New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

26 A righteous man is cautious in friendship,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

24 A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,
do not associate with one easily angered,


God created humankind to be relational. By design, we are not made to live alone. We share this life with those who live around us and have the opportunity to choose those we call friends.

There is a neighbor I grew up with as a child. I haven’t seen him in years and we only communicate occasionally but I still count him among my friends. There are others whom I have met along life’s journey, brothers and sisters in Christ, who will forever hold a position on my friends list. And yet there are those who I once called friends but found them to be something less. Memories of them are painful. Yes, life holds memories of good friends and friends lost along the way.

The wisdom writer encourages care in the selection of friends. A wise selection … one based on godly values … will last.

Have you been careful in choosing your friends?