Problem with Friends

Growing up in youth groups I started noticing a pattern:

When girls had issues it was a big deal-first someone had been hurt, then the taking sides, then the confrontation, and then always the make up with lots of hugs and tears. Always promising to be BBF’s for life!

Now when boys had issues there was less drama-if the boy even noticed the problem :)…needless to say it was different with boys.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve notice another pattern: that we have a lot of “friends“. It’s natural to say “This is Bobby and he is my friend!” But I would argue that we do not have many true friends but a lot of “so called” friends around us. Two problems with “Friends”:

1) We put everyone in the same categories as Good friends. This is not so good because it allows everyone's comments and opinions to weigh the same. The trouble with that is who can you trust. You have one person who tells you that shirt looks nice and another telling you it does not match your outfit, you have one friend who gives you advice which is the total opposite of the other. Why do you think customer service is such a tough industry? Because words mean things and we let everyone’s opinions matter…if a complete stranger off the street walks up to you and says something to you why should you give that person's comment the same weight as what your spouse says? It happens but we are so good at playing it off. We are good at not letting people in or too close to the real us.

When was the last time you asked someone “How are you doing today?” and felt like you got a completely honest answer out of them? You would be shocked if they said “I am really hurting right now?”

2) If someone was a good friend then why would we let them continue to destroy themselves, mess up, have no accountability, etc. How can you call yourself a friend when you allow your “friend” to justify their way of living? I am not talking about deep down secrets of the heart and soul here but the common “pit falls” of life. Drinking, drugs, abuse, sex outside of marriage, etc…

Wait, wait, I forgot we live a world that believes this only happens to “bad” people….

How can you be a true friend if you allow your “friends” to continue down this road? Why are you allowing the world to pressure you into “all opinions matter”. Maybe you are reading this and thinking now, "I know why Walt is a ref"…but I hope you can remember this one thing:

The Fear of the Lord is more important than the Fear of Man!