I've found this post that i've wanted to post a long time ago but it couldn't have been more timely now.
For a start, i think that friends are play a really important role in everyone's lives.
That is to say they are an integral part of life and it would be quite impossible to live a happy life without a friend or two.
Some can't even live past a day without their friends :P
Which is to say that your friends will definitely have an impact on you.
The way you talk, the way you dress, the way you do things and the way you
think.
Understanding this is very important because it will determine whether the rest of my post will be beneficial to you.
If friends can impact the way you think, they definitely can affect the way you do things.
They can affect your morals, your social acceptance and your self-confidence.
Ultimately they affect the way you see yourself.
If you lived a life with friends who love to play basketball,(:P)
naturally you'll be inclined to play basketball as well.
The reverse is true, if you always go out with a bunch of friends who don't like to do certain things(eg. pray), sooner or later you'll find yourself losing the need to pray.
Someone once said, "Your actions affect not just you, but the people around you as as well."
It is highly possible that your circle of friends will be affected by what you do or say.
But here's the twist: When someone acts, you can determine how you want to react.
Here i want to share an excerpt from a book I'm still reading called "Becoming Who You Are In God" by David Eckman.
"Whenever a choice is made for the flesh, an abandonment of peace, joy and love occurs."
Isn't it true?
Would you let love in or be comsumed by anger?
When someone comes and offend you, the clouds suddenly become greyscale(Yes God owns photoshop) and a storm is imminent, what would you do?
Do you retaliate?
Or would you choose to forgive that person instead and move on.
See, sometimes friends will unavoidably hurt you, but you must realise, what is more important.
Your pride?
Your anguish?
Your bitterness?
Or can you see how much more fruitful your friendship can be with that person if you can look beyond the hurt, look beyond how the person has treated you and take control of your emotions, and avoid the conflict.
Or will you let your emotions take control of you, and when you look back through the shades of remorse and regret, you ask yourself, "What I've Done?"
What I'm saying is that you should not let your emotions overrun your control over the situation you are in.
What I'm not saying is that you should give in to your friend all the time because they hurt you.
Relationships are based on the principle of giving and taking; - or sowing and reaping.
I've always believed in this.
In order for someone to first be your friend, what is needed is to first get the person out from the shell of just being an acquaintance.
Your job doesn't just end there.
You need to nurture him or her, feed your 'friend' with food about yourself.
It will take time, but slowly, you're providing the time and energy for the person to make the decision to consider this friendship.
And ultimately, bursting out of the cocoon is a new found friend!
I'd like to go on more about relationships but i wanna close in on just friends today.
So if friends can do so much, then indeed choosing the right friends are important throughout the course of our lives.
Especially if they are to be close friends.
Proverbs 12:26
"The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray."
Open your hearts, my friends.
If a book with 'inconceivable ideas' can provide such practical advice, I believe there must a reason and purpose to it.
I'm just as shocked and grieved to type this as I've heard this message.
I can't be close friends with: unbelievers.
The rest were reasonably logical:
1)Lazy
2)Angry
3)Immoral
4)Greedy people cannot be my close friends.
But the one about unbelievers totally sort of blew my mind away.
But still, my reasoning and logic came in fast to tell me that if I couldn't relate God to someone whom I considered a 'best' friend, then there'd still a renouncing gap between the both of us.
Now this is rather a concern to me because i have quite a few close friends who are unbelievers.
That is the reason why i rejoiced when Yi Bin got saved(:
Maybe this why i felt it was easier to connect to people who believed in God and encourage them than those who didn't.
Maybe this was why i always liked to help out with Daph and KW.
Maybe this was why i found it hard to talk to people who weren't of God about my problems.
Maybe this was also why i found it hard to talk to people who weren't strong in their walk with God about my problems.
Close friends, i just wonder.
Can i even count to one?
With the weeks that are left, the ministry decrees that exams and education take precedence over everything else.
Sure early morning english lessons are demanding as we all know.
But don't forget, this will be the final week or so where all the people you know, love and cherish are still able to come the same place as you do.
Thank God for friends.
Something to end the post.
A classic redone to tasteful proportions.
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
Just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you
And as the years go by
Boys, our friendship will never die
You're gonna see
It's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
