Impact Blog
A weekly journal and interactive discussion with Peter.
Also check out our Video Log
RSS Feed
WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?
Written by Peter Youngren on September 8, 2006“When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.”
“Those who know don’t speak. Those who don’t know speak.”
I don’t know how true these quotes are, but I like them nonetheless. One of the “read between the lines” doctrines in the Bible is that of Friendship(s). This sounds like a bit of shallow discussion but I have seen over the years numerous relationships based on numerous things: work, next door neighbor, family etc. However, how many sincere friendships do you have? How many people are in your life that truly know you and genuinely care about you? The days of David and Jonathan, Paul and Luke seem to be nothing but a distant memory in this day and age. Instead many times we surround ourselves with people that we waste time with. For whatever reason we feel a sense of obligation to be around them because our wives/husbands told us to or because of work or ….. well for any variety of reasons? The question this week is – who do you hang around and why?
The Apostle Paul is extremely clear about believers not hanging around “busybodies”. While speaking about them he states:
“Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.” 1 TIMOTHY 5:13
I have found that busybodies are as active today as they have ever been; believers with too much time on their hands. It is tempting for some to want to “befriend” these people. After all they have the latest gossip from the Christian world and secular world. They have no problem spiritually and tactfully “shredding” others while their back is turned. It is sad, but some times when “friendships” are examined it turns out that we can have one or two or ten busybodies in our lives. People who always want to discuss other people. People who want to discuss you and your family. While it may be pleasing to our flesh to listen to these “ear ticklers” I assure you of one guaranteed thing – they’re saying the same things about you when your back is turned.
God has AWESOME, new covenant, spirit-led, grace filled friendships in this life for you and me. Our time shouldn’t be spent with negative, condemning and corrupting people. Why not take some time this week and allow the Holy Spirit in you to strip away some of those busybodies you’ve been hanging around!
What do you think?
ANDREW OLIVER SATCHELL
GOD IS GOOD
Matt, whose homepage is here
I have an older gentleman friend who I believe does gossip to me a lot and I hate it but at the same time don’t know how to tell him and also when does normal talking become gossip? Sometimes I just know becase I feel the grief of Holy Spirit re this but other times I know it is normal to discuss other people and our relationships with them. I will have to look to Jesus for what to do. I agree this is a sad problem. Thank God that Jesus adressed all of this evil at the Cross!
Eunice Forcet
I was the victim of gossip mongers and unkind neighbours that I went all out to befriend. These two really hurt me with their gossip as they were spreading rumours about me in my neighbourhood. It was like a nightmare. I cried out to God asking why this was happening but you know what happened? This was a lesson to me that I should not trust others so unreservedly because the others who tried to befriend me after those two would have proved to be about ten times worse than they were. So the ‘friendships’ with the first two were in preparation for being cautious with the others. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28. Yes even bad friends can be a part of God’s plans for our lives to teach us wisdom in future relationships. God bless you all.
SAMUEL N,KABIRU
Friendship is the Heart beat of GOD and more so to us as co-workers in His vine yard
Sosina
Question: Do we really have that much time going to house to house and talk about some one eles’s business? I’ am having hard time hear to get a project done due not haveing enough time let alone talk about some one eles’s life. I have enough drama in my own life. I don’t need discuss the drama of some one’s eles’s life to get me exited.
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Comments:
Moji Word-Kelani
Pastor Youngren:
It has been a little over a year now I gave up all I had to earnestly seek Christ and His Divine purpose for my life: Home, cars, business, etc… By doing so, the Lord has blessed me tremendously by revealing those who call themselves friends when they decided all of a sudden to disappear. Since our Heavenly Father is always in the business of restoring to those who love Him, but those who called themselves friends are too worldly to see this, I praise Almighty God for the true revelation before the restoration begins.
When you want busybodies to leave you alone, get close to the Lord. Moreover, pray for those who are in the business of talking about others in the negative terms: Bind the monitoring spirit in the name of Jesus out of the lives of the busybodies in your life. Keep in mind that God sees our hearts; He allows them in our lives to refine us and having our hearts in the right place with Him. Stay Blessed - Moji