A true friend is a gift from God. Like Wesley said to Buttercup, “…You think this happens everyday.” There are relationships that transcend joint interests and mutual circumstances. Solomon observed, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) He framed the value of a true friend against the darkness of coming to ruin by the hand of unreliable friends. I believe this is a contrast of Kingdom relationships versus worldly ones. If we were able to choose our own friends they would be influential and powerful, but Kingdom principles are opposite, such that friends God joins often need the help we can best provide. God’s family is a pattern of unlikely weaves of strength and weakness, master and slave, servant and supervisor, even friends who were pitted by the world as enemies. Paul described such a relationship involving Onesimus, “…no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.” (Philemon 1:10-16)
In the movies, “The Lord of the Rings”, Tolkien cultivates a relationship between sworn enemies – Gimli, a dwarf and Legolas, an elf. Along with Aragorn they overcome through hardship and unselfish purpose building a bond of beautiful enduring friendship. Legolas, accepted Gimli as he found him, remarking to Aragorn, “Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves.” Later, in extremely dire circumstances Gimli says to Legolas, “I never thought I would die along side an Elf”, to which Legolas responds, “…what about dying along side a friend?” I wonder if Tolkien might have considered or borrowed from his own friendship with C.S. Lewis, with who it is said he had many heated debates over literature and writing.
Sometimes our various strengths and weaknesses can tend to separate us in this temporal world. However, in God’s Kingdom of giving to receive, loving our enemies, forgiving to be forgiven, choosing humility to be promoted, and dying to self in order to find eternal life, it is only right to be a friend to one in need, to find a friend who will never leave. If you have even one true friend whom God has given you, you know what I’m describing and you can thank God for giving you that which you could have never attained for yourself.
Discover more from The Conservative Christian Apologist
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
