From a Peanuts comic strip… Charlie Brown is saying good bye to a boy he met at summer camp. “Well, so long Charlie Brown. It’s been nice knowing you.”
Charlie Brown responds: “It’s been nice knowing you, too, Roy. Have a good trip home.”
Then Charlie Brown thinks to himself: “For the first time in my life I feel I really helped someone. …He was lonesome, and I became his friend.”
At the end, Charlie Brown says, “What an accomplishment!”
True friendship is an accomplishment. “Friends” is used 122x in NASV. We will meditate on the account of the healing of the paralyzed man as we consider the qualities of a real friend (Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 9:2-8; Luke 5:18-26).
F-FAITHFUL – Mark 2:5. Webster’s definition is: “maintaining allegiance; constant; loyal.” A “faithful” friend is one who is trustworthy (Psa. 37:3; Prov. 18:24; 27:10).
Be faithful to your friends. Expect the best of them and don’t listen to gossip about them.
R-RELIABLE – Mark 2:3-4 (cf. Luke 5:18). Webster’s definition is: “dependable; trustworthy.” Don’t be like Jesus’ friend who turned against Him (Psa. 41:9; John 13:18). Don’t be friends with those who are too quick to get angry and fly-off the handle; they are not reliable (Prov. 22:24). Job’s friends were not reliable (Job 19:14).
Be dependable for your friends. Be present in their lives, especially when they need you.
I-IDEALIST – Luke 5:22-24. Webster’s definition: “a person whose behavior or thought is based on ideals.” Friends will hold us to the highest standards of Jesus Christ. They will have the best ideals and we should, as well (Prov. 27:6; Mark 5:19).
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Expect the best out of your friends. Lovingly challenge them to live up to Christ’s standards and correct them when they need it.
E-ENCOURAGING – Luke 5:20. In Matthew’s account (9:2), the first words out of Jesus’ mouth are: “Take courage.” Webster’s definition: “to give courage, hope, or confidence to; embolden; hearten. Forgiving one another is one of the strongest avenues of encouraging (Prov. 17:9), and loving at all times, even when your friend is having a bad day (Prov. 17:17; Job 6:14).
Forgive every time your friend needs it.
N-NOBLE – Matthew 9:6. Jesus is noble in that He has the highest aspirations for His friends and is stable in all that He expects. Webster’s definition: “having or showing high moral qualities or ideals, or greatness of character.”
The noble gases (Group VIII) are: Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Radon. These elements are very stable, being considered inert. They are called inert because they are not reactive. Having a high moral character means that you are stable, you don’t react. The densest concentration of the word “friend” in the NT is in John 15:13-15. There, Jesus calls us to love one another.
Not only expect the best from your friend, but live up to the highest ideals of Christ in your own life.
D-DELIGHTFUL – Mark 2:12. Webster’s definition: “giving delight; very pleasing; charming” Be a delight to your friend, cheering him/her up, making their day go easier (Prov. 27:9). It is delightful to be interdependent and to bear one another’s burdens.
Be a real friend to your fellowman.
–Paul Holland
