Friend

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

FRIEND

Prov 18:24

24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

NIV

There are several renderings of this saying of Solomon which would make it a totally different meaning. The one rendition would indicate that in order to have many friends we must first be friendly and that we might still only have one friend that would be closer to us then our brother. Some of our scholars of old like that interpretation, however others would agree with how this translation has stated it, as well as several other translations use the same type of language just slightly different. The interlinear even makes this a little more confusing as the word which it translates as “Must shew himself friendly” seems to mean something else. The Greek word would imply to spoil or good for nothing. We would then have to conclude that we might have way too many “friends” which in all reality are nothing more than acquaintances. This could agree with having to show ourselves to be friendly. Having so many acquaintances, being a Christian especially, should require us to be of service to them, or put them and their needs before ours. This could certainly be our ruin. If we are being run raged helping everyone who thinks they are friends, in the loosest meaning, we would never have time for our own family needs.  This is not to say we should avoid making friends, but that word friend should be reserved for the one who sticks by us and in turn us by them. In life we may only have one or two actual friends who fit this definition. It seems in our society and particularly on social media our status depends on how many friends we have. The more followers on Twitter we can accumulate shows how important we think we are. True friendship should be something we cherish and it would never be our ruin.  Now having many acquaintances does give us opportunity to share the gospel message or pray with them, giving them the opportunity to see God at work in their lives. Yet still we should be aware not to spread ourselves too thin that we do not have our own time with God and with our own family whom he has blessed us with. Let us consider the word friend not in the plural by in the singular.