Are you a true friend?

Are you a true friend?

Written by Heather Hart

Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.  -  Luke 6:22

Have you ever been left out of something just because you were a Christian or it violated your beliefs? Maybe your mom or dad told you that you couldn't go somewhere, or maybe you made the decision on your own. Either way, being left out is never fun. But you know what, while God doesn't rejoice in people hating us or leaving us out, but He does rejoice when we love Him enough to remain by His side no matter what. Think about it this way:

How would you feel if you had a friend that was only your friend when it was easy? Wouldn't you rather have a friend that stuck by you no matter what happened - through thick and thin? I sure would. But God is the same way. He doesn't want us to be fickle followers that are only Christians when it's easy. He says that we can either be true friends, or we're not really friends at all. Kind of like in real life huh?

So the next time that you are left out of something, or someone teases you about one of your beliefs, I encourage you to stand firm, and see God through.

Reflection:

Are you a fickle follower that is only a Christian when it's easy, or do you stand by God and His Word no matter what the cost?

Application Step:

The next time that you are asked to make a choice that you know goes against God's Word, chose to be a true friend, not a fickle follower. Then extend that to the rest of your relationships by choosing to stand by those in need, even when it's not easy or what you would really like to be doing (Do to others as you would have them do to you - Luke 6:31).

Prayer:

Father God, sometimes it's hard to make the decisions that I know are right. Taking the easy road is, well, easier. I don't want to be a fickle follower, Lord. I want to be true to you, no matter what the cost. Help me to do that in the future. Help me to remember that even if I get left out, or made fun of, that choosing to remain true to you is still the right decision. Thank you, Lord. In the name of your Son I pray, amen.

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