Peacemaker Ministries Wisdom is a series of blog posts that takes a 360-degree look at keys to interacting with others from a biblical perspective. This 360-degree look will help each of us handle conflict or tension in our lives with actions that glorify God. Subscribe to this blog today. Let’s look at number seven.
Proverbs 17:17 (NASB95)
17“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
Peacemaker’s Wisdom #7 of 360:
A friend loves at all times.
Proverbs 17:17 (NASB95)
17“A friend lovesat all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
Friendship can be a very interesting subject. Why? We all have different filters that we look through when we talk about friends. Some of us have been loved deeply by friends, while others have been deserted, whereas others have never had a close friend. This is why when we start talking about friendship it can be a sensitive subject.
Let’s define what a friend does: a friend loves. Now think about this in terms of a biblical definition of love.
1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NASB95)
4“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.”
Here is a list of what a friend does:
- True friendship loves at all times
- True Friends are patient at all times.
- True Friends are kind at all times.
- True Friends are not jealous at all times.
- True Friends do not brag at all times
- True Friends are not arrogant at all times.
- True Friends do not act unbecomingly at all times.
- True Friends do seek their own at all times.
- True Friends are not provoked at all times.
- True Friends do not take into account a wrong suffered at all times.
- True Friends do rejoice in unrighteousness at all times.
- True Friends rejoice in the truth at all times.
- True Friends bears all things at all times.
- True Friends believes all things at all times.
- True Friends hopes in all things at all times.
- True Friends endure in all things at all times.
- True friends do not fail at all times.
I firmly believe that to be a peacemaker we must fully embrace these expressions of a true friend. I know that my spouse is a much better friend than I am. She is much more patient, kind, believing, and enduring than I am. Our relationships need this type of wisdom. We must be willing to stand before God knowing that our relationships are based on his definition of love.
I also know that in my other friendships, especially in those with whom I have had conflict, these expressions of friendship have not always been at the forefront of the friendship. In fact, if I evaluate every friendship that has ended, at some point these good attributes ceased existing.
Peacemaker’s Wisdom #7 of 360:
A brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 (NASB95)
17“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
Sometimes when we read this – we read the word “for” as if it were the word “from.” However think about what the text is saying. We have a brother, a sister, or some translations say family for adversity, for times of trouble, for times of anxiety, for times of drought, for times of distress. This is so key.
Peacemaker wisdom tells us that in our relationships we need to be family to each other. Think about the ways believers in the past addressed each other. They used to refer to each other as brother and sister. I can remember my parents saying “sister smith….” or “brother smith….” It wasn’t just that they were being polite, by adding that title it reminded them they are family. I know we have moved away from that type of language. I also know that when conflict is high between once close friends it is because at some point we have forgotten we are family.
Thank you for taking the time to measure and build wisdom into each of your relationships. Let us know your story of how God is changing your life and bringing peace into your relationships. Email your story to mystory@peacemaker.training
Now go out in peace, live in peace, and make peace.
P. Brian Noble
