Divas of the Divine Daily Devotional
April 25, 2007Ladies,
Firstly, I would like to apologize for being out of the loop. I have been busy with getting things together for my new position. Please continue to pray that I can start working soon. Things will pick up again, so I encourage your continued participation.
Today's devotional is the long awaited Part II of the study on Friendship...I want to call it the dark-side of friendship. It speaks about having those unhealthy friendships and knowing when to extinguish them.
I am a guilty of maintaining unhealthy friendships. One relationship I had was with someone who totally exasperated me, drained my energy, caused me to sin constantly, and outright took advantage of me. She had even assaulted me in the worse way, coming on to my husband, and I never even confronted her about it. the truth is I cared deeply for this friend, and had known her for over a decade, but the time came when I knew I had to end the friendship and it was so very painful. I still pray for her and her children.
Sometimes we grow apart, and need to change the relationships. Then there are other friends, those who you grow with. I used to pray often for godly friends, since high school. Not only did God give me new godly friends, some of the most unlikely characters out there (Patti!), but he also changed some of my relationships with current friends, whereas now we can relate to each other about spiritual things.
My life is richer because of my friendships. Pray that God will direct the right people into your life, ask Him to give you the wisdom to separate yourself from those negative friendships, and thank Him for the godly friends you already have.
Don't have any godly friends? I'm available!
--Saucy Sister
“You No My Friend!”- Part 2
By Susanne Scheppmann
“A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26 (NIV)
Devotion:
Yesterday I told about the freckled-nose little girl who thought the worst insult she could hurl toward someone was, “You no my friend!” Unfortunately, there are times we might need to end a friendship with someone we care about. I would be remiss if I did not recognize that not all our pals are beneficial friends. I have had many friendships that turned into destructive relationships.
Friends hold great influence over us. They can entice us into activities that we know in our hearts we should not participate in. Our key verse today states, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Some friends may damage us emotionally and, even worse, lead us astray from a godly life. They become an unhealthy influence.
I feel sure we all have felt betrayed by a “friend” at some time in life. I don’t believe you can make it through middle school or high school and not experience duplicity by a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Betrayal seems to hide in the lockers, cafeterias, and gyms just waiting to spring upon us in those vulnerable teen years.
Can you recall a time of feeling betrayed by someone close to your heart? Do you still feel the sting of hurt?
Not only do these hurtful friends betray us, but they can also hurt us by leading us astray. In my early years, I was asked to mentor a young woman about my age. As it turned out, instead of being uplifting and God-fearing, our friendship turned into a disastrous road of sin. We were not wise in our decisions together. I watched with envy her ability to vomit up her food after she ate to keep her svelte shape. I attempted to become bulimic through her instruction.
Even more devastating, the primary topic of our conversations became criticizing our husbands. We encouraged each other to live our lives to the fullest, with or without our husbands. We prodded one another into deeper and deeper sin. Eventually, we recognized our propensity for double-trouble when we were together. The friendship ended, but not before we caused tremendous damage to our families and ourselves.
Sometimes people disguise themselves as good friends. I have encountered a few friendships that turned sour. They each left a pungent bitter taste when the relationship evaporated out of my life. In hindsight, these type of women never fully displayed true friendship, and it is quite possible that I didn’t show true friendship to them either.
Sadly there have been times when I needed to say, “You no my friend.” I still valued them as individuals, but we were not good for each other. I have tried to end these relationships gently. The Bible directs us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV). If there is a friendship that you need to extinguish, seek God’s guidance and wisdom. Allow the Holy Spirit to direct you in your actions and words as you seek a way to say, “You no my friend.”
Dear Lord, reveal to me any destructive friendships in my life. Give me the courage, wisdom, and knowledge on how to handle these relationships. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Perplexing Proverbs: A Woman’s Bible Study by Susanne Scheppmann
Sandpaper People by Mary Southerland
“Feeling Alone” an ETC article by Rachel Olsen
Application Steps:
Study the relationship that Jesus held with His betrayer Judas Iscariot. Read the following Scriptures: Luke 22:47-48 and Matthew 26:48-50. How can Proverbs 12:20 and Romans 12:18 apply to the relationship between Jesus and Judas?
Devotion:Yesterday I told about the freckled-nose little girl who thought the worst insult she could hurl toward someone was, “You no my friend!” Unfortunately, there are times we might need to end a friendship with someone we care about. I would be remiss if I did not recognize that not all our pals are beneficial friends. I have had many friendships that turned into destructive relationships.
Friends hold great influence over us. They can entice us into activities that we know in our hearts we should not participate in. Our key verse today states, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Some friends may damage us emotionally and, even worse, lead us astray from a godly life. They become an unhealthy influence.
I feel sure we all have felt betrayed by a “friend” at some time in life. I don’t believe you can make it through middle school or high school and not experience duplicity by a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Betrayal seems to hide in the lockers, cafeterias, and gyms just waiting to spring upon us in those vulnerable teen years.
Can you recall a time of feeling betrayed by someone close to your heart? Do you still feel the sting of hurt?
Not only do these hurtful friends betray us, but they can also hurt us by leading us astray. In my early years, I was asked to mentor a young woman about my age. As it turned out, instead of being uplifting and God-fearing, our friendship turned into a disastrous road of sin. We were not wise in our decisions together. I watched with envy her ability to vomit up her food after she ate to keep her svelte shape. I attempted to become bulimic through her instruction.
Even more devastating, the primary topic of our conversations became criticizing our husbands. We encouraged each other to live our lives to the fullest, with or without our husbands. We prodded one another into deeper and deeper sin. Eventually, we recognized our propensity for double-trouble when we were together. The friendship ended, but not before we caused tremendous damage to our families and ourselves.
Sometimes people disguise themselves as good friends. I have encountered a few friendships that turned sour. They each left a pungent bitter taste when the relationship evaporated out of my life. In hindsight, these type of women never fully displayed true friendship, and it is quite possible that I didn’t show true friendship to them either.
Sadly there have been times when I needed to say, “You no my friend.” I still valued them as individuals, but we were not good for each other. I have tried to end these relationships gently. The Bible directs us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV). If there is a friendship that you need to extinguish, seek God’s guidance and wisdom. Allow the Holy Spirit to direct you in your actions and words as you seek a way to say, “You no my friend.”
Dear Lord, reveal to me any destructive friendships in my life. Give me the courage, wisdom, and knowledge on how to handle these relationships. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Perplexing Proverbs: A Woman’s Bible Study by Susanne Scheppmann
Sandpaper People by Mary Southerland
“Feeling Alone” an ETC article by Rachel Olsen
Application Steps:
Study the relationship that Jesus held with His betrayer Judas Iscariot. Read the following Scriptures: Luke 22:47-48 and Matthew 26:48-50. How can Proverbs 12:20 and Romans 12:18 apply to the relationship between Jesus and Judas?
Reflections:
- Do I have a friend who is harmful to me emotionally and spiritually?
- What influence do I have on my friends?
- Are there any relationships in my life that I feel God is directing me to end?
Power Verses:
Proverbs 22:24, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered.” (NIV)
Proverbs 21:10, “The wicked man craves evil; his neighbor gets no mercy from him.” (NIV)
Proverbs 2:12-15, “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” (NIV)
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
I have had friendships in the past that have been bad and even just this past year I started a friendship knowing that the traits of this particular person was not what I needed in this point of my life. I think that I am a good friend, however right now I am at a crossroads. How can I be a good friend if I am not a good friend to myself. I have been praying to God to give me strength so that I will not allow my weaknesses to control me. And in my cry for help I feel that I am involving two of my closes friends, and spiritual sisters. I feel like I am just hurting myself, but when I woke up this morning and saw that my issues were still here, I cried. And after receive the many text messages that shared God's Word from my dear friends I realized that I am causing them to worry about me for foolish reasons. It is time to stop being a foolish person.
ReplyDelete