Better Week 3: You’ve Got a Friend in Me Part 2

You’ve Got a Friend in Me Part 2

Introduction

When we look at the Bible, we see a blueprint for how we should live our lives.

It's a guidebook, filled with lessons and teachings that can help us navigate the complexities of life.

And one of the most important teachings it offers is the value of building strong, meaningful relationships with others.

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV 1900)

24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

I. Building Biblical Relationships

This verse is a powerful reminder of the importance of having deep, meaningful friendships.

But what does it mean to have a friend who sticks closer than a brother?

It means having someone who is there for you, no matter what.

It means having someone who will stand by your side, even when times are tough.

It means having someone who will offer support, encouragement, and love, without asking for anything in return.

This kind of friendship isn't easy to find.

It requires effort, commitment, and a willingness to put the needs of others before your own.

But when we strive to build these kinds of friendships, we find a joy and fulfillment that is unmatched.

Now, let's look at how we can apply this teaching to our own lives.

Last week we talked about friendship and that it’s Biblical friendship requires intentionality.

We can't just wait for these friendships to happen.

We need to actively seek them out.

This means being open to meeting new people and being willing to invest time and energy into getting to know them.

We need to be proactive in reaching out, and consistent in our efforts to build the relationship.

Biblical friends become family

Biblical friends become a source of support and encouragement, even when it's difficult.

Biblical friendship requires authenticity .

Biblical friends are willing to open up, to share our struggles and our triumphs, and to let others in.

It means being willing to be honest, even when it's hard.

We as Christians are to build relationships that are deep, meaningful, and enduring.

It's about being there for others, and allowing them to be there for us.

And when we strive to build these kinds of relationships, we find a joy and fulfillment that is unmatched.

We are to strive to be friends like Jesus and be a friend who stick closer than a brother.

To do that requires that we move from servitude to friendship.

Moving from Servitude to Friendship:

In the cultural context of the time, a servant knew the master's commands but was not privy to the master's plans and thoughts.

Jesus transforms our relationship from one of servitude to friendship, desiring that we intimately know His heart and purpose.

Two-Way Communication:

Friendship is a two-way street.

Jesus doesn't just speak to us; He also desires to hear from us.

Foster a vibrant prayer life and engage in meaningful conversation with Christ.

Share your heart, dreams, and concerns with Him.

Abiding in Christ:

In the preceding verses of John 15, Jesus speaks of abiding in Him like branches connected to a vine.

A deep relationship with Christ requires a continual connection, drawing life, sustenance, and guidance from Him.

Regular prayer, Bible study, and worship are vital components.

Surrendering to His Will:

True friendship involves trust and surrender.

Jesus, as our friend, desires us to surrender our will to His.

Allow Christ to guide your steps and shape your decisions, trusting that His plans for you are greater than anything you could imagine.

Let us seek not only to be followers but friends of Christ—individuals who intimately know His heart, share in His purposes, and walk in the light of His love.

May our relationship with Christ be a source of strength, joy, and transformation, reflecting the beauty of divine friendship.

As we embrace the depths of intimacy with Christ, we find fulfillment and purpose that goes beyond what the world can offer.

May our lives be a testament to the transformative power of a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior.

GOOD RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT LEFT TO CHANCE

The righteous know the kind of person they want to be and choose to surround themselves with people who help them achieve those goals.

The righteous look for people who make them better versions of themselves.

The righteous seek out people who love God with their whole hearts and live it out each day.

Some people don’t have our best interest in mind.

Some people don’t live based upon a desire to please God.

Some people don’t make us better, rather, some can make us bitter.

If we leave our closest connections to accidental encounters, we may find ourselves being led to places we never wanted to go and becoming people we never intended to be.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see the way to develop better relationships.

Jesus certainly spent time with a lot of people.

We will call them the crowd.

Though he did spend time there, they were not His focus.

Instead, we have a group of 12 disciples that He did most of His life with.

Even inside of those 12, he had 3 even closer relationships in Peter, James, and John where He really invested His time and energy.

Jesus did not leave his friendships to chance; He chose them wisely. We should do the same.

LOOK FOR GODLY ATTRIBUTES

The only way we can avoid relationships by chance and develop friendships by choice is by looking for characteristics in others that look like Jesus and encourage us toward Him.

The apostle Paul writes about this in his letter to the early church in Corinth.

The reason Paul puts this into his letter is because the struggle to surround ourselves with the right people is not new to us, it has been going on for a very long time.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (ESV)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Paul is outlining what true relationships, built on the love of God, look like in our lives.

As I read through these simple, yet profound, characteristics, I can’t help but think to myself that those are the kinds of relationships I want in my life.

I want to connect with people who are patient and kind.

I want to trust people who are not self-seeking or proud.

I want to have friendships that always protect one another and persevere through difficult times.

Being aware of the people that are in our sphere of influence and noticing when someone demonstrates these attributes that Paul says just may be the best way to develop better relationships in this new year.

A good friend with these characteristics makes us feel safe, loved, and supported.

Some of the greatest friendships I have had in my life have been because they fit this passage so well.

Many of them were born out of adversity and struggle.

Sometimes we need someone who is willing to come and stand next to us when no one else will.

Someone who will face down the jeering crowds, so we don’t have to do it alone.

Do you have someone who embodies the patience, kindness, humility, love, truth, and joy that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians?

If not, do everything in your power to find folks who do.

Then, do everything in your power to be that person for someone else.

That way, when life throws you the difficult circumstances that often come, like losing a job, marriage struggles, addiction, or sinful temptation, you don’t have to go it alone.

As important as it is for us to be on the lookout for Godly friendships, there is also a very important aspect to better relationships that often goes overlooked.

WHAT KIND OF FRIEND AM I?

The truth is that in order for us to have better relationships, we must also be someone people might want to develop a relationship with.

We must live with a sober self-assessment and be able to answer honestly if we are the kind of people God wants us to be.

If you were to be honest, what kind of friend are you?

Are you trustworthy?

Are you kind? Are you forgiving?

Do you have other’s best interests in mind?

Paul writes about this need for an others focused life in the book of Romans.

Romans 12:10 (ESV)

10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

What Paul is doing here is giving instruction for individuals to live in meaningful relationships with one another.

Rather than just expect that everyone else would cater to my needs and desires, I make a conscious effort to be devoted to others in love.

This word for love that Paul uses is the word Philadelphia.

Sounds familiar right?

What is that city known as?

The city of brotherly love.

Paul is inviting us to love others as brothers and sisters in Christ.

There is a deep connection that is made as a part of God’s family.

Then he says we ought to honor one another above ourselves.

This is the crux of the passage.

Without putting other people first and honoring them by the way that we treat them, there is no hope of building better relationships that are not, somehow, one sided.

That’s why we should be a person focused on others more than yourself.

Be the type of friend you want to have.

Conclusion

Once again, Jesus is our greatest example for building better relationships.

He was the standard for living a life of humility and service.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, He demonstrated how to love others well.

So, in this new year, make a commitment to surround yourself with people who push you toward Jesus.

Pay close attention to the kinds of fruit that your closest friends demonstrate.

Pay even closer attention to your own fruit to make sure you are the kind of person who would encourage and support people who enter a relationship with you.

It is always wise to take a step back this time of year and reevaluate.

Perhaps better relationships are exactly what you need.

Let’s pray together.