Friends: Those who are saved from much, love much

By Marvie Marchbanks
Guest columnist

Friends! Friends! Friends! Seems like everyone has friends. That’s got to be a good thing, right? There’s nothing ubiquitous about an old friend’s character or loyalties which we share between each other. Friends reflect much of who we are by standing vanguard against the reputation of adversaries and speaking kind words in defense of our character. It’s good for someone else to speak for you in peaceful seasons of spring and summer; “dry autumns as leaves hit the ground and hatefully cold winters.”
 True friends inspire courage and sound reasoning when fear, doubts and hatred show up. Our friends share with us secrets of the past like when you first rebelled against your parents’ most precious wishes. The pages of time have turned, and now our children have secrets and friends with coffers that are filled with new memorable experiences most precious.  
To this end, we all hold the most precious secrets as friends even as mature adults. There are some friends in our lives who will stick closer to us than our own families. No matter what! King David had a friend like that! Jesus called his disciples friends, and we call our fire-baptized brothers and sisters friends.   
Israel’s first king, Saul, had a son by the name of Jonathan. This was David’s best friend, and it is one of the clearest examples of soul ties. Referencing 1 Samuel 18:1-5, as soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful where Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and in the sight of Saul’s servants.
Jesus was a friend to Lazarus, as referenced in John 11:38-44, and so much so that He raised him from the tomb and cried out loud and told the caretakers to roll away the stone and pull off the burial clothes and to let him go! Those that stood by were awestruck by the love that He had for His friend, Lazarus. Even Lazarus’s sisters, Martha and Mary, testified of their faith and friendship stating that if He had been there prior to his death, Lazarus would not have died.
When I consider these two friendships, David and Jonathan, Jesus and Lazarus, the only thing that separates them is life and death.
Let us remember that Jesus expressed that I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. If you want to have a good life socially, I recommend making friends with God’s anointed people. Seek the upper crust within your community. Those who keep note, those who publish good things in our lives. Those who protect and defend. Those who teach and guide. Those who lead and strengthen your position.
My Dad told me when I was a child to choose wisely my friends because friends’ cost. Those friends you choose with a divisive nature exponentially cost you ethically and morally. I am convinced of this with all certainty. Those with virtue cost you less and often lead you into the way of peace and deep understanding of life’s mysteries and constant principalities.
However, abusive friendships can endure for many years until you have a change of heart and mind with a determined separation. To be enlightened reminds me of Jesus telling His disciples those who are saved from much, love much. Here lies the appreciation and foundation of saving grace for so many lonely hearts corrupted by abusive friendships within the world we live in.
Long-kept secrets of hurt and disappointment become summations of a dark past life. A better selection of friends yields potential benefits for a healthy, successful life. Former tragic situations become triumphant victories. We all should be thankful for new friends and old friends. They are divine gifts to mankind.

(Note: Journal Record readers and staff members are enjoying Mr. Marvie’s guest columns like this one he submitted on Sept. 17. Please tell him yourself in person at the Marion County/Hamilton Farmers Market at 2151 Bexar Avenue West, currently open on Thursdays from 4-6 p.m.)

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