Sometimes, when life is rough, my wife and I agree to have a quiet weekend. No braais with friends, just chilling at home. But before we know it, friends come visiting Friday evening. Saturday evening we’re invited to a braai, and Sunday after church we decide to have lunch with a few other families.

Sunday evening we go to bed quite tired out, but with smiles on our faces, because it was such fun. It’s so good to have friends and to spend time with them. I know my friends will stand by me through thick and thin. When the paw-paw hits the fan, I know I can call on any of them, just like I will help them in difficult times. Or would I?

I suspect Job thought so too, but when he was right in the middle of his problems, no friend or family was near. Just listen to him complaining in Job 19:

“God alienated my family from me;
    everyone who knows me avoids me.
My relatives and friends have all left;
    houseguests forget I ever existed.
The servant girls treat me like a bum off the street,
    look at me like they’ve never seen me before.
I call my attendant and he ignores me,
    ignores me even though I plead with him.
My wife can’t stand to be around me anymore.
    I’m repulsive to my family.
Even street urchins despise me;
    when I come out, they taunt and jeer.
Everyone I’ve ever been close to abhors me;
    my dearest loved ones reject me.”

My heart groans when I read this. I call out: May I never, but never abandon any friend like this. I want to be a crutch! I want to help!

Poor Paul didn’t fare much better. When he appeared in court, his friends and colleagues were so obviously absent. ¹⁶At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits. But it doesn’t matter—the Master stood by me …

My heart groans as I read this. I call out: May I never, ever abandon any friend like this. I want to be the crutch! I want to help! I must help!

But I’m afraid that I will be like Job and Paul’s friends. When the fire becomes too hot, when it will cost me something, when my life might be in danger, the question is what I would do in the heat of the moment?

I’m sure that Paul’s friends really wanted to help, but were overcome by fear and ran away. So why would you and I be different?

Michael W. Smith gives us good advice in his song Friends:

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long
To live as friends

Yes! Only the Lord can bind us together and help us not to run away. He will give us the strength to be a crutch and to help! With the power of God’s Spirit we will be able to support one another through thick and thin, because that’s why we’re here.

May we as friends always serve one another and be there for one another through thick and thin.

Scripture
2 Tim 4:16-18

Reflection
How thick are your ties with old friends?
Would you do anything for them?
Would you give up everything for your friends in Jesus?

Prayer
Jesus, You are our friend. Without You we will run away when our friends are in trouble. That’s why we can’t serve our friends without You. You showed us how to live life as true friends. May this become true in our lives too. Amen.