Being a Sturdy Shelter

I have a million friends on Facebook! People love me!

I must chuckle when I look at celebrity pages on sites like Facebook and Twitter and see that they have millions of “friends” or “followers.” Then, I look at my page and those of my friends, and laugh even more. Some have 200, 300, 500+ friends. The first question I ask is – Who has that many friends?

I think we use the term friend very loosely.  Just because we know people, or they like us, doesn’t mean they are our friends. Look up the word ‘friend’ in the dictionary, or better yet, open up your Bible and go to Sirach 6:14. It says, “Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure.”

Do you have friends who are a sturdy shelter? Go through a trial in your life and you’ll find the answer to your question. Friends worthy of the praise mentioned in Sirach are ones who will be there when you need them the most. They’ll be there even when you don’t want them to be, because they love you, and they see their presence is what you need, not necessarily what you want.  Jesus, the Ultimate Friend, is always there, especially when you don’t want Him to be.  True friends, like Jesus, will also speak the truth to you in love. Don’t turn your back on them.

To have a friend, you must be one yourself. Are you a sturdy shelter for others? The Apostles, I would say, were sturdy shelters for Jesus. Though at times they displayed very fair-weather qualities, they came back to Jesus eventually. And He welcomed them with open arms. Those friends went on to spread Christianity and raise up Christ’s Church. What a sign of true love and friendship!

Be that kind of friend for your earthly brothers and sisters in Christ. We need each other to continue on this arduous journey called life.