“Real friendship is rooted in the self-giving love of God.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 26, 2024
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17, NIV
According to Proverbs 17, the heart of true and abiding friendship is love.
As a man, friendships rooted in deep and genuine love are, sadly, hard to come by and often held at arm’s length. We likely have many friends who share our interests and hobbies, such as friends with whom we watch football, go fishing, or play music. And, of course, this kind of shared companionship is to be celebrated! Yet, if your friendships are limited to workplace small talk or fantasy football strategies, you’ve yet to experience the divine gift of self-giving friendship that is celebrated throughout the Bible.
When I was in my early 20s, I remember vividly the first time a friend told me he loved me. It took me aback and frankly was uncomfortable, as I lacked a category for a loving friendship that was neither sexual nor unfaithful to our shared biblical convictions. Ironically, however, this friend was trying to model a biblical friendship built upon something deeper and more foundational than shared interests or recreational pursuits. At that moment, he was living into the vision of Proverbs 17, saying that he loved at all times and was a support through the gift of prayer and presence, no matter what I was going through.
Do you have friends like this in your life, and are you a friend to someone who needs to know they are dearly loved?
Loving, self-giving friendships do not happen by accident. We do not stumble into them, nor do they simply appear out of the blue. They require a deliberate choice to move beyond affinity and mutual interests. It may require courage to move a friendship into the lane of Proverbs 17. Perhaps it begins with a simple question that invites vulnerability, transparency, and trust. “What are you struggling with right now, and how can I support you in that battle?” Similarly, consider ways to invite a friend into your struggles. “I need you to walk with me through this” is a single sentence that can instantly transform a friendship.
Real friendship is rooted in the self-giving love of God. Celebrate this truth today, giving thanks to God for the friends in your life who model this truth. And in a similar way, ask the Lord how you can be a loving friend to someone who needs to know you are with them, no matter what comes their way.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gift of loving friendships and the practical way they remind us of your great love and care for us, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
What’s a step of vulnerability that you can take today to move a friendship toward mutual self-giving love?
Related Reading
Job 6:14; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; John 15:13
Worship Resource
Hannah McClure: You Are My One Thing
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