GENEROSITY

Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.
Psalms 41:9

During my early youthful age at the Junior Youth Service, I was taught to be circumspect with friendship and so I kept this axiom, "I chose my friends, I don't let my friends chose me." 

Friendship is a relationship between two people for a common good. In a good relationship, the two people find it easy to get on with one another and develop. They add value to one another and by so doing, they multiply their values. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17

However, there are some relationships in which a friend subtracts value from the other party without any replacement. Some use their friendship to divide their friend against other people (Christ, Family and others). "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

Beloved in Christ, who is your friend? Is he/she sharpening or blunting you? What value is he/she adding to your life? What value are you adding to his or her life? As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Be my friend who will always improve my relationship with all persons more especially, with Christ Jesus.

Shalom aleichem...