Hi Friends!
Welcome back to another week of writing. Something I’ve been thinking on lately is how friends confront and correct one another. It’s definitely not a comfortable situation for either party most times or some people are wrong for the confrontation and some people are wrong for correction and some people are wrong for not listening to the correction being brought.
Story Time
In your free time go and read II Samuel but for now I’m going to paraphrase the story as best as possible. So David became King and one day instead of going into battle with his men and was home. He saw Bathsheba bathing and then ya know… things happened even though she was married… He later on went to send her husband on the frontline in battle and basically set him up to die. David was approached by Nathan the prophet. He went on to tell this story about about a rich and poor man and their flocks. Someone came to the rich man and instead of taking one of his own he took one of the poor man’s and prepared it. David was not a fan of this story… I wonder why? Nathan then pointed out to David that he was the rich man who took of the poor man’s flock in this story. David instantly felt regret and repented for what he had done.
Are you David or Nathan?
Not that I’ve been living for as long as my parents or as long as my grandpa, Pacifico, lived but I have had friends that I have learned a lot of lessons from. Sometimes we do things and we know that they’re not right or don’t have open eyes to see what we’re doing but thank God for godly friends!
Though it wasn’t the case here – there is no proof of anything other than Nathan being a prophet I believe BUT how many times have we had to point something out our friends are being hypocritical over or have we had to been called out on much like Nathan and David? David responded with such a pure heart by repenting. Those are the moments that defined David as a man after God’s own heart. He was very humble. Nathan also was sent by the Lord to confront David and was obedient for doing so.
If you’ve been corrected – and I mean genuinely corrected – I urge you to get your act together and fix what you’re doing. Don’t be pridesful or dismiss your friends advice because “oh they’re just saying that” and become familiar with them. Your friends who are believers are not beneath you in life and if anything you need to let them sharpen you like Proverbs says. If you are the friend who is seeing something that is not lining up with the Word in your friends life do the right thing by talking to them! It might not always be the fun thing to do but it’s better to wound a friend than be an enemy who betrays with a kiss. (Proverbs 27:6).
Friendships Rooted in Honesty and Love
Friendship is one of the greatest joys of life I have experienced and I think everyone should experience that. I’m surrounded by the best of the best but one thing I can promise you is that the ones I call my best friends I call out and they equally have the ability to call me out as well because we care about each other. Don’t let little foxes get your friends! Wouldn’t you want to be corrected or wouldn’t you want to be honest with someone? A part of the walk of a believer is growth and with growth comes stretching. There are times where things that don’t seem so serious can grow into something serious. Everybody’s human and sometimes we do indeed miss things that our friends and family can spot in us. Let’s strengthen our relationships with honesty and love. You have to do everything rooted in love. That doesn’t mean that you water things down but it does mean that you’re doing and saying it all because it does have to be from that overflow of love from Jesus. And when your friends come to you, have an open heart to receive that correction. At the end of everyday we are all doing what we do for a greater goal and purpose – eternity and the way we conduct ourselves will influence the ones we take with us there.
Till Next Time,
Keziah-Grace
