“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 KJV
You may have known someone who has complained they have very few friends. I once knew a family that left a church because nobody befriended their daughters in that church. But friendship is an unselfish attribute. Friendship must be given without expecting anything in return. If you would have a friend, be a friend! There are various reasons for loneliness, but certainly one of them would have to be, believing the lie of Satan that others exist only for my benefit. Following that deception leaves one lonely, miserable and depressed.
But when we choose to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, by unselfishly reaching out to be a friend to those who are hurting and struggling in this broken world, we end up receiving the greatest blessing ourselves! That is the nature of the gospel!
Perhaps, unconsciously, we may spend hours at work to accumulate material possessions to impress others and so to gain friends. A contemporary Christian singer named Guy Penrod sings these lyrics: “There are people who care what you drive, what you wear, where you live, how much money you made. But how many of them could you still call a friend if it was all taken away?” True friends are interested in you for who you are, not for what you have.
Scholars debate whether the writer of the Proverbs had Jesus Christ in mind when he wrote “there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” And yet, does not all of Scripture point forward to the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it not appropriate that we apply the truth of this verse to the greatest Friend the world has ever seen? He emptied himself, took the form of a servant, and became obedient to the point of death on the cross. And through that divine sacrifice, we who were the enemies of God, have now been made His eternal friends! Hallelujah! What a Saviour! May God help us to die to self, to live the gospel, and to be unselfish, giving, loyal, trusted friends to many in great need around us, for His eternal glory!