Friends

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of will and destructive things they do. So they slander you.” 1 Peter 4v3 (NLT)

The Bible is so complete. It is interesting that it even tells us that former friends might be surprised and abuse you when you stop to do the things y’all used to indulge in. But 2 Corinthians 5v17 (KJV) tells us that “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” However, temptation might still pop its head up now and then, and one way in which we can easily get tempted to indulge our flesh, is through other people. 1 Corinthians 15v33-34 (NLT) says “… “bad company corrupts good character.” Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.”

Have you ever been in a situation whereby because of your faith in God your former friends begin to tease you? If you are being teased, slandered, or abused for not doing things that you know would not please God, be at peace – the Bible has forewarned about it. But still, be careful of the company that you keep. Be encouraged by Psalm 1v1-2 (AMP) that says “Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father I thank You so much for the privilege of knowing You and serving You. Father I pray for the grace to continue to follow You. I pray that You will surround me with friends who fear you and help me to be a good friend to those around me. This I pray in Jesus name, amen.