God created us as humans with a need for relationships, both with others and with God. As you read the Bible, it’s obvious that relationships are critical to the way God made us. The fourth chapter of Ecclesiastes provides us with amazing motivation to build deep, healthy relationships and friendships. In this chapter King Solomon speaks on the blessings of friendship.
Solomon writes about three particular areas that you will be blessed by friends.
First, a friend will help you up after you have fallen. Of course, this could be figurative, as a friend can help you to recover and “get back on your feet.”
Second, in those cold times a friend will stay close and help to keep you warm.
Third, a true friend will help to protect you in a time of danger.
The three examples provided by Solomon include problems the are self-induced, difficulties that result from natural forces that are beyond our control, and situations that are a result of poor decisions by others. Really, I can’t imagine any problem that we could face that wouldn’t fit into one of these areas.
As Solomon points out, regardless of the type of problem, a true friend or companion will be there to help during the struggle. Interestingly, after writing about these wonderful benefits, he says three are better than two!
Go out and make some new friends and build stronger, healthier relationships. Many of us hold back and “protect” ourselves by not letting others too close. Usually this is a result of hurt from poor relationships in the past, but we need to put that behind us and move forward to build good friendships.
Lord, thank You for the incredible friends You have given me. I treasure their words of encouragement, their prayers on my behalf, and their support. Help me to be as good a friend to them as they are to me.
Dr. Ann Shorb is a counselor with CCES in southern Pennsylvania. CCES offers Marriage Counseling, Premarital Counseling, and help for a number of other issues.
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