A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES

I treasure my true friends. We are not all alike and at times we may not agree with things our friends do but unless it is dangerous or illegal we are to love the unconditionally and regardless.  The Bible says there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother(See Proverbs 18:24).  Are you that kind of friend? Are you the kind that if your friend were to go to jail or a mental hospital would abandon them in their time of need? It may be tempting to not associate with 'damaged goods'. But we all have sinned  and fallen short  of Gods glory. (See Romans 3:23). 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.'(John 8:7).

The Bible says that 'a friend loves at all times'. (See Proverbs 17:17).You may not always see eye to eye or agree with everything they do but you still love them. Being quick to judge can harm friendships. Having a loose tongue and not thinking before you speak can also backfire and hurt friends. 'If you want to be a friend show yourself friendly', the saying goes. Do you stand by your friend through thick or thin? You may say 'they are acting foolish or I do not agree with what they are doing'. The point is to keep praying for your friend and showing nonjudgmental love. 1 Corinthians 6:11 is a verse that says 'and such were some of you' meaning that we all have 'been there' and need to show grace. None of us are perfect. When it comes to 'messing up' or making a bad choice we have all 'been there, got the tee shirt'. 

So your friend is not living up to your expectations? You think they are not using good judgment in some area. That is between them and God. All you can do is pray and love them. Just be a friend. Learn to love and learn to forgive.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift of friendship. I thank you for friends who are there for us no matter what and stick by us even if they do not agree with us. Thank you for being able to be a friend to others. In Jesus Name, Amen!