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“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

Proverbs 17:17

Are there people in your life that you know you can call on at any given time, and can others say the same about you when it comes to needing a friend at the midnight hour? We all need friends we can trust, especially during challenging times. My father often said, "Trust is something you earn not something you give away." I value his words to this day, because those words of wisdom laid an important foundation in my life and serves as the narrow lense I look through when I call a person my friend. My father taught me that authentic friendship is built upon trust, and trust is something a genuine friend will demonstrate at all times, including when they are not in your presence. If your friend doesn't have your back at all times, I encourage you to question just how genuine the friendship really is. 

King Solomon, known as the wisiest man to ever live outside of Christ, also looked at genuine friendship through a narrow lense when he wrote, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." A genuine friend will tell you when you're right and when you're wrong, and will love through both sides of that coin. A genuine friend will lovingly tell you what you sometimes don't want to hear, and will stand by your side when no one else will. 

Each time you read Proverbs 17:17, I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can I talk to my friend about anything?
  • Does my friend defend me when other people say negative/unfavorable things about me?
  • Will I receive an answer if I have to call my friend after midnight? 
  • Does my friend check on me as often as I check on him/her? 
  • Is my friend a person of genuine faith in Christ Jesus?  

I don't have a laundry list of friends because I apply each of the above questions to every potential friendship. I hope and pray you, too, closely evaluate a person before you call them your friend. If not, then I encourage you to start today, because it's never too late to start developing authentic friendships. 

Eleanor Roosevelt has been credited with saying, "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." Today would be a good day to thank that friend who, for years, has been leaving footprints in your heart. Remember, true friends are hard to find, so if you have one, please don't take the relationship for granted. As King Solomon wisely said, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

As you prepare for what life has in store for you today, carry this Discipleship Devotional in your heart and mind.

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