Day 18 – Proverbs 18 – Part 1

(Part 1)

How many Facebook friends do you have?

Is it a lot? Are there many people following you?

When you walk into church, does everyone recognize you, say hi to you, and give you an ol “How are you today?”

Do you like the fact you have a lot of friends?

What I have noticed, and maybe you have too is: all the people you know, you have met, you have gone to school with, went to church with, or lived in their neighborhood are really just acquaintances( even though you call them friends). They are relationships built on social convenience.

They are surface relationships and lack depth.

There is nothing wrong with knowing people, and there is nothing wrong with calling someone your friend. There is nothing wrong with most of our relationships being built on the foundation of social convenience. We need relationships like those in this life.

However, when we begin to depend on those people, we have a problem.

When we value those relationships more than developing close ones…

with just a select few…

we will soon find ourselves in ruin. (18:24)

Yes…

choose just a few…

Yes…

start “A clique”

Why?

Because the fact is, you cannot know everyone well… you can only know a few people very well.

You cannot develop relationships that go deeper and closer than a brother with the “masses”. You can only have close relationships with just a select few.

It’s
* when we take the time to draw closer to our spouse.
* when we decide to take the time to draw closer to our children.
* when we choose a few friends (of the same sex) that we intentionally spend time with and communicate with. It is those relationships we stick to in good times and bad. It is those people that walk with us through the ups and downs of this life.
* why small groups in a church are so important.
* why coming to church is so important.
* why choosing to stick with a group of friends is vital to living this life. And we stick with them when we are mad at them, or when we are glad they came over.

Because the “many” will not stick with you…

they can’t…

…but a few close friends (and if it’s one, that’s ok) are able to “stick closer than a brother.”

So…

If you don’t have a few buddies to walk through life with…

make it a point to find some wise ones.

You will be glad you did.

(click here for Part 2)

What did you see from the passage today?