They were almost finished lacquering their new wood floor in the upstairs kitchen of the townhouse when the fumes found the pilot flame from the water heater. It flashed and the entire room lit up instantly, burning Steve's legs pretty badly. His friend Brad had been in the bathroom cleaning up when he heard the deep woof! of the igniting fumes. He fought his way through the flames with a bathroom mat, threw it over Steve to snuff his smoldering clothing, and dragged him to his bedroom. Brad remembered catching a glimpse of the fire engulfing the hall, blocking their escape to the stairway leading to the safety of the ground floor below. They were trapped."You're gonna have to jump, Brad. Save yourself man. I'm beat up pretty bad.", Steve winced. "No way, man! I'm sticking with you.", Brad replied as he threw open the window and yelled for help. "Wish your brother, John was here. He'd know what to do."Seconds later, the bedroom wall exploded as a heavy set fireman carrying an ax emerged from the adjacent townhouse."Any of you girls seen my scrawny little brother, Steve?", the man asked."John! It's you! How did you...", they yelled in unison."I'm just passing through. Don't have time to stay for supper. Smells like it's burnt anyway, so let's go out.", John jested."No argument here!"Proverbs 19: 4 states, "Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him." It's great to have friends like Brad who will stick with you even in bad weather. This type of friend is hard to find these days as each man is busy building his life, family, and work. There's just simply not time to invest in building a true friendship. Or is there? Our familiar, local world revolves around the relationships we are inolved in. Most men will develop close friends from work, family ties at home, and acquaintances from social settings. So what keeps us from developing good, solid, true friendships? Most men find it difficult to open up to others, exposing their deep inner self. Others fear getting burned, betrayed by a gossipping friend. Still others find it embarassing to talk about subjects other than surface talk such as news, weather, and sports.The truth of the matter is that it is tough to "talk the talk" and "walk the walk" as a Christian today. Just as we cannot have victory over our sinful nature without the help of Christ, we need Christian friends to help us follow God's will throughout life. We shoud be helping each other develop spiritually and thinking about doing God's work. Ecc. 4: 9,10 says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!". Everyone falls. The spiritual battle for our minds rages relentlessly. Friends can help us defend ourselves. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecc. 4: 12). Friends can also keep us on track with God's will. "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses... and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel." (Prov. 27: 6,9) We can talk through our problems with friends to discover the answers God has already provided. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Prov. 27: 17)The way we handle our relationships should emulate what God has done in our personal relationship with Him. The words we say, the way we act, and the things we do, all should reflect the love He has shown us personally. So let's strive to acquire holy traits and inject those into our relationships. Let's take courage and show everyone we interact with God's exemplary love. Then we will know we are progressing down the path of the Christian walk as God intended. To God be the glory.Next week: Money: A Biblical Point of View.
