WHAT KIND OF FRIEND, WHAT KIND OF BROTHER?

One thing that cuts across cultures, belief systems and society is the need for honesty, loyalty, respect, support, trust (just to mention a few) in any given relationship. It is indeed factual that the lack of any of these results into disagreements and even separation. Friendship, just like any other relationship in whatever level is essential in the life of man. Apart from the need of company, we definitely can’t do everything by ourselves hence we need help from one another (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). This need is evident in the very first human being created by God. In (Genesis 2:18), we see God affirming that it was not good for man to be alone and resolves to make him a helper.

A few things to note concerning our relationships:

How we relate with each other, gets to affect the other person in one way or another (1 Corinthians 15:33). One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray (Proverbs 12:26).

At this point, I pose to you a question, what kind of friend or brother are you?

Our model of true friendship:

(John 15:12-13) – “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends”

From this scripture we see that for Jesus, true friendship goes beyond the physical. It is a genuine concern for one’s eternal wellbeing. It is the restoration of man’s relationship with His creator. It is the salvation of mankind. It is the gospel. Now that you have been saved by faith, through grace, in Christ and have come to the revelation of the solution to man’s sinful and fallen nature, you have the responsibility of sharing this good news with others if you truly love and unselfishly seek the best for them (Matthew 28:19-22).

The practicality of this kind of friendship:

(John 1:35-46)

The events that unfold in these verses happen after it had been confirmed to John the Baptist that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God whom God Had told him about. This he affirms after seeing the Holy Spirit descend and remain upon Him (John 1:33-34). So, the next day John is standing with two of his disciples and sees Jesus walking along. He calls Him the Lamb of God. The disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus.  One of them being Andrew. What fascinates me is that after his experience with Jesus, Andrew first looks for his own brother Simon Peter, tells him that they had found the Messiah and takes him to Jesus (John 1:41-42). Later, Jesus decided to go into Galilee and asks Philip to be His follower, a call which he accepts (John 1:43-44). Philip finds Nathanael and tells him about Jesus, though Nathanael is skeptical about this news, Philip asks him to come with him and see that truly Jesus is the One Moses and the prophets wrote about (John 1:45-46).

Andrew and Philip illustrate true friendship and brotherhood, they loved and unselfishly sought the best for Peter and Nathanael. They cared about what really mattered and is of importance, their salvation. 

What kind of friend are you, what kind of brother are you?