You’ve probably heard the saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” a line from the movie, Godfather II. It can be wise advice because you never know when your “friend” might actually be your enemy. Verse 24 would seem to hint at this as it says, “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” Have you ever been betrayed by a “friend?”
We hear almost daily of bullying accounts of one kind or another. Just the other day a dear friend of mine who has some “special needs” told me how someone she’s known for a while has started to call her “stupid.” How hurtful. What sort of motivation would lead a “friend” to call another friend stupid? We are meant to build each other up, not tear each other down. These were grown-ups!
We see plenty of similar goings-on in schools. I don’t have any young children anymore, but I remember the days, especially in late elementary and middle school, when our girls would come home just devastated, closing themselves in their rooms, feeling totally deflated and ashamed. How do we stop this? If you can’t trust your friends, who can you trust?
So, knowing who our enemies are can be helpful. We can either keep our distance or forgive them realizing they lash out because of their own weakness. It’s easy to internalize the hurt but recognizing the source and redirecting the abuse is healthy. Those who hurt us are more than likely really hurting themselves, and we are just their target.
Have you ever had a dear friend; one you could tell anything? Those kinds of friends don’t come along all that often. They are to be treasured. Like the verse says, they’ll stick closer than a brother. When we’re related by blood or family ties, we have a bond nobody can take away. You can’t change your family of origin. When a friend is that close, there isn’t a lot that can take them away either.
John 15:13 says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Such a beautiful passage. Jesus gives us the perfect example of what he did for us, his friends. He gave his life as an act of sacrificial love. We will probably never be called to do the same for our friends. When you think of all your friends, it will become quite clear who the real friends are – those are the ones you’d give your life for.
Who in your life are you closest to? Can you imagine laying down your life for them? Take time today to think about them, what is going on in their life, and pray for them. Now think of those who you are in opposition with, friends who may have in some way betrayed you or your trust. They are obviously dealing with something that has hurt them which is causing them to lash out at you. Pray for them, too.
Let’s pray … Lord, forgive me for any hurts I have caused other people either by my words or actions. Help me to be a better friend. Surround me with people I can minister to and support. Help me let go of the hurts of the past and forgive those friends who have let me down. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
