Choose your friends wisely for they will either help you to succeed or be your downfall!
Let me tell you a true life story that happened sometimes ago. Martha and Tola were close friends and attended the same church. One day, a very handsome, hardworking, and dedicated Christian brother approached Tola for her hand in marriage. She told him ‘give me some time to pray about it’, but in her heart she was so happy about the proposal. Tola told her best friend Martha about the proposal from Raphael, and she encouraged Tola to play a little hard to get so that she wouldn’t be taken for granted by Raphael. As Tola was still in the process of playing hard to get but dying in her heart for Raphael, Martha went to him and said “Tola told me you proposed to her,’ and Raphael answered “I love your friend with all my heart and want to marry her as soon as she agrees to my proposal”. Martha then said to him “Be careful, all that glitters is not gold!” In the process Martha let out some secrets. To cut the story short, she schemed her way through and Raphael ended up marrying Martha. Tola regretted her friendship with Martha.
An Irish prayer says “God save me from my friends, I can take care of my enemies.”
Fake friends abound everywhere. How do you know them? They broadcast your failures but whisper your success. Select your friends with the utmost care so that you don’t end up with regrets. Your outcome in life can actually be affected by the friends you keep. An unknown writer remarked “Fake friends are like shadows. They follow you in the sun, but leave you in the dark.”
Make friends with people who have vision, integrity and are diligent, trustworthy, positive-minded and knowledgeable about your goals and aspirations in life. If need be, keep your secrets to yourself, they are safer with you and you don’t have to worry about being exposed. Keep in mind that recent studies show that people rarely keep secrets. Do not be like Tola who kept the keys to her happiness in her friend’s pocket.
Choose your friends wisely and avoid being friends with gossips, envious, angry or sad persons. They cause distractions and can delay the fulfilment of your destiny.
Who is a friend?
- Someone who is happy with your success and encourages you when you fail
- A true friend tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear
- The one who knows your weak points but covers them with his strength and helps you to work on such weaknesses.
- A friend loves at all times both in good as well as in bad times and is closer than a brother
- Someone who makes you feel good about yourself without any effort.
If you are looking for a sincere friend, find Jesus first. A song writer says ‘what a friend we have in Jesus…’ You can tell Him everything and anything, and He will not betray your friendship.
Lesson: Be careful of someone who pretends to be your friend but acts as an enemy.