Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Friendship...The Pillar of Love

The people that we invite and welcome into our lives have a significant impact on both our relationship with God and with others. Our intimate relationships also have a direct impact upon our future.

Proverbs 27:17 tells us that "Iron sharpens iron, so one (woman) sharpens another." The reality is this...if your very closest and most intimate of friends, the people that you do life with, are all rough and ragged stones, in all probability you will become dull and ultimately be rendered unable to make them in any way, sharp. Just like in a garden, if most of your plants are weeds, then even the best and hardiest of plants will be crowded out, the life choked right out of them.

Among many other things, I believe that there are four critical pillars that need to be in place in order to ensure strong and healthy friendships. As we go through and look at these pillars over the next few days, remember that every healthy relationship must start with a healthy YOU! Spiritual health enables us to see rightly and with greater wisdom and discernment. Learn how to evaluate your friendships and relationships in the light of these four pillars - seek out those who display these qualities and welcome them into your intimate circle.
Love is the good soil that is so foundational to the health and vitality of your garden of friendships - it is into love that each flower and plant will be placed.
1 Corinthians 13 is a wonderful chapter that gives an in-depth look into what this good soil of love is composed of - the nutrients that will ultimately feed our relationships.
In verse 1-3 we see that talking about wonderful gardening and having knowledge of wonderful gardens and plants, and even sacrificing ourselves on behalf of our gardens will profit us absolutely nothing without love. It is just talk and works - but void of the vital, life giving nutrient of love.
In verse 4-7 we see what love is and what love isn't. We see the qualities or the "nutrients" that produce the good soil of love and also those elements that must be removed in order to keep the soil of love pure. The soil of love must be rich in those qualities that ensure that we have a "profitable" garden of friendships.
Love is patient
.... Love is not jealous
Love is kind
.... Love does not brag
Love rejoices with the truth
.... Love is not arrogant
Love bears all things
.... Love does not act unbecomingly
Love believes all things
....Love does not seek its own
Love hopes all things
.... Love does not provoke
Love endures all things
....Love does not take into account a wrong suffered
....Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness

The good soil of love covers. It is a place where our roots can grow deep, where we feel safe and secure, love seeks to cover, not expose. There is always room to grow and thrive in love - love invites us in, even when we feel like we don't deserve it; love is a place where we know that our heart is safe. These are the qualities that we need to look for in the soil of love in our own gardens, these qualities are vital in order to show ourselves friendly to others, so that we can pour into their lives the goodness of God and in turn recieve the blessing of being ministered to as we allow others to pour their fragrance into our lives as well. Remember, just as others will bless and bloom in the rich, fertile soil of your garden...so will you in theirs!

Verse 8 tells us that "love never fails" - this is God's own promise to us. It is crucial that we make a sober assessment of ourselves before God in the light of these good soil requirements - asking Him to create in us a pure heart and renewing a right spirit within us that we may be filled to overflowing with the attributes of the Holy Spirit, so that our friendships, our relationships in life would be planted, rooted in the good nutritious foundation of His soil of love.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

what a wonderful tribute to Marnie's birthday and our last day of bible study. What a nice the picture of the group...we are all smiling now that is very unusal to capture everyone at that moment. Some of our sisters were absent and they were very much missed . It was such an enjoyable afternoon. Sad that our study was over but the birthday celebration was fabulous...may each of you have a wonderful summer...
blessings.....Edna

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