Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
This is one of the often quoted proverbs. You have probably heard it at some point in your life. But did you stop to think about what it is actually saying? And have you asked yourself how this might be applied in your own life? These are questions that we are going to ponder today and hopefully come to answers for.
A friend loves at all times… It sounds simple enough, right? But we are all human, which means we have good days as well as bad. And when you are having a bad day, the last thing on your mind is loving your friends. Loving our friends in the good times as well as the bad times shows a level of maturity you may not feel. It is a choice you make to extend love, even if you aren’t really feeling it.
“A brother is born for a time of adversity” tells us we should stand by our friends at all times, especially those of struggle and trials. The definition of adversity is “unfavorable fortune or fate, a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress.” This includes trouble, opposition, pressure, illness, anguish, testing and tribulation. There are six types of adversity: self-doubt, physical injuries or illness, rejection, poverty, loss of loved ones, and struggle to succeed. It is in these times of adversity that we should stand by our friends and support them.
It also says “a brother” and not friend, associate, church member, or anything else. A BROTHER is born for times such as these. Our friendship should be close like a brother, caring for one another in the same way family cares for each other.
Do you care about your friends like family? Then stand by them in times of adversity and be their support and strength. That will show them true love and give them hope and peace.
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