"ARE YOU A BOLD AND TRUE FRIEND?"

Good Evening to All!

And Again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. (2) And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door; and he preached the word unto them. (3) And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. (4) And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. (5) When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son thy sins be forgiven thee.
Mark 2:1-5 KJV

(11) I say unto thee, Arise and take up thy bed , and go thy way into thine house. (12) And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. Mark 2:11-12 KJV

A true friend is a bold friend They are a person who will first of all be honest and tell you like it is, but also will stand up for you against all odds. The bold friends in this passage didn't let the crowd stop them. They had the faith that Jesus could heal their sick friend whether he did or not, so they took a stand. They did what it took to get in to see Jesus.

They were not rude to the others in the crowd, they did not shove or push anyone, they simply climbed up and dislodged the roof and let their friend down from there.

To me, that took creativity, initiative and work on this man's friends' part. They must have loved him dearly to go to that much trouble.

That is what being a true friend is about. Anyone can "say" they are a friend, but a true friend is like those above, who will go the extra mile for someone without expecting anything in return. They will run errands for their friends who don't have time or don't have transportation, they will take them to doctor appointments. They will babysit if they are needed. All kinds of things.

They will stand up for and with their friend against adversity. A good true friend is also a good listener. Sometimes people don't need or want advice, they just need a "sounding board". Someone that will listen to their problems and grievances without judging. A good friend is an encourager. Instead of being critical an encouraging word can make all the difference in the world to someone who is having a rough time.

We as good friends should spend time and energy on our friends and not give up on them. Prayer is also a must, but we must not let prayer go alone. Prayer should be followed by actions. They will do things for that friend that an "acquaintance" wouldn't do.

They will be there for their friend when others back away when something tough comes along, and they will believe in that friend, yet if they see their friend heading down the wrong path, or "changing" they will be bold enough to say something. I do not mean in a confrontational way, but in a loving and concerned way.

They will also try their best to witness to their friend about God's love and His Word, so that they can informatively make the most important decision of their natural and spiritual life.

Where do you rate as a true friend? Do you do the above things for your friends? I just thought of something as well. Jesus spoke about doing a lot of these same things even for strangers, such as giving them food or drink, visiting them in the hospital or prison, and so forth. Remember? He said if you have done this for the "least of them" you do it for me.

Therefore my logic is this. If He is wanting us to do this for people we DON'T know, why shouldn't we be just as attentive to our friends? We are suppose to show love to everyone, friends and strangers alike.

While I will do anything for a friend according to those characteristics above, I'm afraid I would be a little less forthcoming with a stranger. I will be honest, and will tell you I don't think I would stop and pick up a man walking down the highway. If my husband is driving, I may ask him to stop for the person. I definitely will give people money for groceries, but more if my bills have been paid for the month. Now I have helped out friends when I didn't have much money at all, and granted, God has always blessed me, and deep down I know this, but I still have that tinge of worry if I don't have much gas in my car to last, or if my bills have not all been paid. So needless to say, God is definitely still got some work to do on this kid.

I have some friends who would give away their last dime for the month to someone who was in need without batting an eye. I do wish I could be like that. Maybe someday God will finally be able to get through my thick skull. It's not that I don't want to, because I always feel better when I do help others, but that little tinge gets me every time.

Well, enough confessions for the night.

Again, re-evaluate yourself as a true friend according to the above characteristics and see where you stand.

Good Night to All and May God Bless,