TOPIC: SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS
MEMORISE: 1 Corinthians 15:33
“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
READ: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)
14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers;
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness?
15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell
in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people.
17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you.
18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 28-30
MESSAGE:
There is a popular adage that says Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. This saying is very true. No matter how spiritual you are, (1 Corinthians 15:33) says that “Evil communications corrupt good manners.” There are certain friends who would pull you back and there are others who would help you grow spiritually and in other areas of life. Choose your friends wisely. Before I became born again, I had friends with whom I regularly drank alcoholic wines. Then, I met Christ and my lifestyle changed. When my friends visited, I served them non-alcoholic drinks, and before long, they realized that things were different, and withdrew from me. It was painful to lose my friends then, but I let them go because I didn’t want them to drag me back to the world. Today, God has replaced those friends with a lot of brothers and sisters all over the world. I have made new friends who have helped me in my walk with God. It is this kind of friends that you should have too – friends who will draw you closer to God, challenge you to pursue your dreams, pray with you when you are down and whose positive impact on your life will be evident to all. I must warn you that such friends are not many, but even if it is only one of such you can find, he/she is better than a hundred others who would pull you down.
Jesus is the best
friend that any man can have. He said in John 15:15 that:
“…I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
Jesus friendship should be your standard. If you cannot see through a person’s lifestyle that they have a relationship with Jesus, then they should not be your friend. While Matthew 22:39 says that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, we are only to have a few true friends. Jesus loved everyone when He was on earth, but He kept His inner circle small. Don’t hate those you cannot be friends with. You must love them; just don’t share intimate things with them. Set clear boundaries.
Remember, iron
sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).
KEY POINT: Are your current friends drawing you closer
to God or far from Him?
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye the
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest
evangelical church in the world
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