1 Corinthians 13:6 says, 'Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth."
While reading this verse, one thing I felt God talking to me about was being an honest friend.
So many times we encounter situations where honesty would create a God-filled atmosphere, but we often find it easier to be quiet than to disrupt a situation or friendship.
Love is not happy when others do wrong.
Love is not being content when we see our friends making harmful decisions.
The Word of God lists many verses about our job to protect one another in this life.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "So encourage each other and help each other grow stronger in faith, just as you are already doing." (ERV)
We are called to encourage other to grow stronger in faith...
Not encourage other to fall into the pit of anger, idolatry, adultery, bitterness, envy, doing shameful things...
I went through a really difficult time in my life at the beginning of this year. I'm going to be as transparent as I can right now and tell you there were weeks I was going through 7-8 bottles of wine.. alone. I was combating anxiety and hypochondria by being drunk every single night. There was one night I remember being so drunk, I passed out in front of the master bedroom door. I woke up to my then 3-year old screaming for me to wake up and saying 'Mommy please don't die.' I was falling apart... and my husband and children were falling apart along with me. I had close friends that loved me through it, but also didn't sugar coat my situation. They didn't tell me 'Oh, it's okay-- keep doing what you're doing.' They sat me down and were honest- told me I needed to get help.
They didn't watch me crumble and fall into a pit of sin... and leave me there. They didn't rejoice in the path I was walking down..
They told me the truth. They helped me see the way out.
They never left my side-
but they didn't accept the way I was handling my emotions and mental health.
Most of the times, when our friends are falling into the pit of sin-- it is because their spirits are crushed because of some situation or circumstance. Psalms 82:4 says, "Help those who are poor and helpless. Save them from those who are evil." (ERV) I felt helpless earlier this year-- and as I previously said, most of the time when our friends are filling their lives with harmful activities, it is because they are hurting. We are not called to escalate their harmful activities.. we ARE called to love them and save them from evil! We are called to chase after the needy-- those trying to fill these voids with ways that don't lift up the Lord-- and we are called to save them. To love them. To encourage them. To be there for them. To point them in a healthy direction.
We are called by God-- when He picked our friends-- when He put us in the circumstances to meet our friends-- He called us to protect them and love them and cherish them.
Luke 4:18-19 says, "“The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor. He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.
He sent me to free those who have been treated badly and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show His kindness." (ERV)
While reading this verse, one thing I felt God talking to me about was being an honest friend.
So many times we encounter situations where honesty would create a God-filled atmosphere, but we often find it easier to be quiet than to disrupt a situation or friendship.
Love is not happy when others do wrong.
Love is not being content when we see our friends making harmful decisions.
The Word of God lists many verses about our job to protect one another in this life.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "So encourage each other and help each other grow stronger in faith, just as you are already doing." (ERV)
We are called to encourage other to grow stronger in faith...
Not encourage other to fall into the pit of anger, idolatry, adultery, bitterness, envy, doing shameful things...
I went through a really difficult time in my life at the beginning of this year. I'm going to be as transparent as I can right now and tell you there were weeks I was going through 7-8 bottles of wine.. alone. I was combating anxiety and hypochondria by being drunk every single night. There was one night I remember being so drunk, I passed out in front of the master bedroom door. I woke up to my then 3-year old screaming for me to wake up and saying 'Mommy please don't die.' I was falling apart... and my husband and children were falling apart along with me. I had close friends that loved me through it, but also didn't sugar coat my situation. They didn't tell me 'Oh, it's okay-- keep doing what you're doing.' They sat me down and were honest- told me I needed to get help.
They didn't watch me crumble and fall into a pit of sin... and leave me there. They didn't rejoice in the path I was walking down..
They told me the truth. They helped me see the way out.
They never left my side-
but they didn't accept the way I was handling my emotions and mental health.
Most of the times, when our friends are falling into the pit of sin-- it is because their spirits are crushed because of some situation or circumstance. Psalms 82:4 says, "Help those who are poor and helpless. Save them from those who are evil." (ERV) I felt helpless earlier this year-- and as I previously said, most of the time when our friends are filling their lives with harmful activities, it is because they are hurting. We are not called to escalate their harmful activities.. we ARE called to love them and save them from evil! We are called to chase after the needy-- those trying to fill these voids with ways that don't lift up the Lord-- and we are called to save them. To love them. To encourage them. To be there for them. To point them in a healthy direction.
We are called by God-- when He picked our friends-- when He put us in the circumstances to meet our friends-- He called us to protect them and love them and cherish them.
Luke 4:18-19 says, "“The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor. He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.
He sent me to free those who have been treated badly and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show His kindness." (ERV)
If the Spirit of the Lord is in you--- let it work through you. Help your friends to be free of the things that bind them. Help them to break loose from the chains of this life. Help them to see and feel the love of God.
Love does not rejoice when others do wrong.
Love is happy with the truth.
Love is happy with the truth.
Love your friends enough to protect them today.
Love them enough to shield them from the pain of this world.
Love them enough to be honest with them.
Love them enough to fight hell for them.
Love them enough to encourage them in faith.
Love them enough to stand up for them.
Love them enough to shield them from the pain of this world.
Love them enough to be honest with them.
Love them enough to fight hell for them.
Love them enough to encourage them in faith.
Love them enough to stand up for them.
Love them. Purely and wholly.
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