Chose The Right Friend

James 5: 1 – 20

Chose the right friend

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

The idea of consciously picking and choosing your friends – rather than just letting it happen naturally – can seem callous. But when you think about it, your friends are a very important part of your life and can make a huge difference in the decisions you make and who you become. Who you spend your time with will certainly affect how you experience and succeed in life.

Choosing friends who can serve as a strong support system is crucial. Not only will you want to spend time with your friends during good times, but when you need some support, it’s important and extremely helpful to have some reliable and supportive friends to turn to.

Your friends can be a huge stress reliever. It’s important to give yourself time to relax and enjoy yourself, so choosing friends who have the same likes, dislikes and interests as you will be beneficial. You will be much happier and relaxed to share your time with people who have the same interests.

Your friends are also someone you can turn to for help. Having a group of friends who are also invested in their personal interest as much as you will help if you ever find yourself struggling.

As much as some people will try to deny it, your friends will have plenty of influence over your decisions and who your become. This is not always a bad thing, but it does prove the point even further that you should be aware of who your friends are and make sure you share some of the same interests, goals and beliefs.

A key thing to remember that there is a big difference between a friend and an acquaintance.

We make the mistake of putting people in our ‘friend’ category while in fact they were not our friend at all. We read in Psalm 35 verse 14, “I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourned for his mother.”