Acquaintance or Friend

Lately I have been thinking about people I know and if I consider them a friend or an acquaintance. An acquaintance is a person you know casually. A friend is someone you have a strong liking for. I don’t know about others, but I have a lot of acquaintances and a lesser number of friends. I even have different types of friends. I have friends from work, friends in the neighborhood and friends at church. The Bible talks about friends in numerous verses. Philippians 2:4 says everyone should look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. In John 15:13-14 Jesus tells us that no one has a greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends. Remember that Jesus invested in His disciples and Judas was in that group. If Jesus himself lost a friend, then not all of our relationships are going to work either.

The book of Proverbs offers a lot of wisdom about relationships. Proverbs 18:24 says one with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother. Proverbs 27:17 states “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” It is hard to find a friend who will tell you the truth in every circumstance. Many will “kiss up,” but a true friend may wound you because they love you. Proverbs 27:6 says, “The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.” Didn’t Judas betray Jesus with a kiss?

Lord, today help me develop a friendship that is so intimate that they can speak anything to me to become a better brother to them!

Gary Elrod