Proverbs 27:1-6 – Christian Friendship
Verse 1 – How many people put off learning about Christ, reading His Word, and believing in Him till tomorrow. ‘Another day will do,’ they say, ‘when I am older and not so busy.’ ‘When I have children’; ‘when I get out of school’; ‘when I feel like it’. So many excuses. And then tomorrow never comes. Sudden death or illness strikes, old age creeps up on them unawares, and before they know it, it’s too late. They are facing a lost eternity. If you have been making excuses, stop now, for God gives you no guarantee that you’ll be alive tomorrow.
Verse 2 – A Christian should never sing their own praises. How can he? How can someone who has said to God, “Be merciful to me, a vile sinner,” say to others, “Come see what I’ve done for the Lord; come see how humble I am!” It just doesn’t make sense.
Verses 3-4 – To be made fun of for being a Christian is often harder to bear than just about anything else. Why? Because our own sin and Satan himself want it that way. But instead of being provoked by those who have no love of God, we need to pray for them. Jealousy is another tool Satan uses to attack God’s people. It is unreasonable and fierce. And the unbeliever is jealous – he wants the peace and joy and love a Christian has, but he’s not prepared to believe.
Verses 5-6 – What kind of friend do you want? Who will be a blessing to you? The man or woman that humours your sins and feeds your pride? We are poor, straying sinners, and we need a friend who will be quick to tell us when we are turning from God. Rebuke, kindly, considerately, and prayerfully given, cements friendship, rather than loosens it. The mark of true godliness is a desire to have our faults pointed out; and a thankfulness to those who do it. But how thankful are you?
Questions
- What is wrong with counting on tomorrow?
- What kind of friend do we need?
Prayer Points
- Pray for your Christian friends.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.