A Friend Loves At All Times, And A Brother Is Born For A Time Of Adversity

PROVERBS 17:17
“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://www.bible.com/114/pro.17.17.nkj

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There is a vast difference between being a true friend and simply knowing someone well.
The real evidence of true friendship is loyalty.
A true friend does not count the times he or she has helped; a true friend does not expect anything back in return; and a true friend does not engage in gossip.
Jesus is a true friend; He gave His life that you might live. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Friendship develops from fellowship, from spending quality time together. Without time together, friendship cannot develop.
“A brother is born for adversity.” We Christians all face adversity; the trials and testing we believers is always ongoing and we all need help and encouragement at one time or another.
As brothers sisters in Christ, we are obligated to help one another.
Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Love is not simply a feeling, it is an action and a duty of care toward one another without the expectation of anything in return. Love is choice to care, but friendship takes things further and comes from relationship and quality time spent together.
Today, Many people are slipping away from God, and as a result of government measures over the past years have slid back from Christ and others have become isolated, anxious, depressed, and even suicidal.
Jesus is the example to follow; He did not abandon His people who fell into sin. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
We believers must follow the example of Christ and continue to love and reach out regardless.
My brethren, If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4:20-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Jesus said, ““As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:9-17‬ NKJV
When the devil comes to fill you with negativity and put you down, remind yourself that regardless of your faults and failures, despite your past sins, Jesus chose you.
Therefore, you can love yourself because Christ loves you and you can like yourself because Christ likes you.
My beloved, one must love himself before he can truly love others.
When the devil comes to remind you of your past, rebuke him, and remind him of his future.
We all have friends that continue to go around and around the same old; they continue to complain about their lives and are very demanding.
They ask for help time and time again, then stab you in the back.
But before you cut them of completely, ask yourself, how many times you have had to ask Jesus for forgiveness? How many times have I messed up?
Jesus didn’t give up on you, therefore don’t give up on others.
I’m not saying allow them to drag you down with them, and they will if allowed, for negativity and depression is very contagious, but God’s love is powerful and is too, contagious.
Love is like a weapon of mass destruction against the devil and draws many to the kingdom of God. Therefore, continue to love and in the very least, keep them in prayer with a loving heart, for a true friend is forever loyal.
My beloved, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.