TUESDAY Protect Your Friendship Someone once said: Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies. The book of Proverbs is concerned with the vulnerability of friendship; it counsels us on how to keep our friends and also, if necessary, how to protect ourselves from them. The Hebrew word for friend also means neighbor, the one who is close to us, the one who is already a friend or who may become one. Biblical wisdom values human relationships and appeals for thoughtfulness and respect in these relationships. Read Proverbs 6:1–5 . What problem does Solomon refer to, and what is the solution? What crucial spiritual principle do we find here as well? While the Torah urges people to help the poor and to lend them money without charging interest (Exod. 22:25 ) , wisdom warns us against inconsiderate financial backing for a friend who is in debt. The duty of charity does not exclude the duty of justice (Exod. 23:2-3 ) . Though we need to be generous when we can, we would be wise to make sure that our charity will not turn into a fiasco (compare with Prov. 22:27 ) . Hence, the wise counsel given to us in the proverb. The first caution applies to our words. How crucial that we evaluate the situation and make sure that we can afford to help our friend. If so, only then speak and promise. Indeed, the warmth of our relationship or a moment of emotion may precipitate our commitment, and we may regret it afterward. No matter how well-intentioned you might have been, it’s crucial to think before you act and commit to something that you can’t fulfill. The point is that if we get into a bind, we need to do what we can to fix it, including humbling ourselves, admitting our mistake, and asking for grace. How do we learn to balance our desire to bear one another’s burdens ( Gal. 6:2 ) with the words given to us in this proverb?
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:33:24 +0000
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