Proverbs 17: 17, Proverbs 18: 24, Proverbs 1: 2-7, Matthew 22: 37-40

Matt Deaville

Proverbs is a mint book. It's the only book of the Bible that from the outset lays out promises of what you receive by getting hold of its contents (read chapter 1: 2-7) its easily readable - there's even 31 chapters so read one a day and finish it in a month.

Here's a great piece of advice that will help you to live well, that will encourage people to want to be around you and can help place great people around you that will aid you in your future - "Be Friendly"

How simple is that, but very effective. The problem is, that very often we don't feel like being friendly. You can think of numerous scenarios I'm sure where you've met new people or even people you've known for ages and just can't muster the energy to be friendly & welcoming.

I attend a church where its easy to avoid new people because there's enough people to go around already, but I'm aware of how intimidating it can be to be in a new environment or meet new people. If I can be welcoming, have the boldness to start conversations, I know it will make people feel more at ease and help to consider coming back again.

These 2 verses give us insight into what friendship's about and how important it is to us. In fact relationships are the most key thing we can get right in our life, relationship with God and relationship with one another - Matthew 22: 37-40

Have you ever had a friend you can trust implicitly, who loves you all the time. This is what proverbs 17: 17 talks about. I have a great friend who I feel I can tell anything to, we have developed an open and honest relationship and I know (unlike with a lot of people) if I mess up big time, he'll be there for me and vice versa. This is an incredible thing, one I hope that you can experience. We're true brothers and I love the fella. A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity 17: 17

The deal is, if you want to have great people around you, you've got to put some effort in, you've got to be friendly, be welcoming, make an effort to get on with them. Sometimes you can just click with someone, sometimes it requires more work but it can be well worth it.

I have some people in my life who without doubt I am a better person for knowing them - and that started with me making an effort (going out of my way) to introduce myself, perhaps asking questions - being friendly.

Don't get me wrong I haven't got this sorted - I get tired, don't feel like making an effort with people sometimes, but I have tasted the fruit of good friendship and believe that it will help me thru life.

Prov 18: 24 says a man who has friends must himself be friendly and importantly there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I have a couple of friends that are like brothers and its great, but greater is Jesus who sticks closer than those guys. I love in John 15 where Jesus talks about himself as a friend to us, not just some kind of remote master. Verse 13 says there's no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend. Jesus first demonstrated this to us thru the cross and now asks us to be His friend and know Him.

Be friendly and be worthy to be a great friend & know the friend who sticks closer than a brother.