Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

CHAPTER ONE
WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD HAVE FRIENDS
Friends make us well rounded. Therefore, Christians should have friends because
it will help them grow. Even though there are some monks who feel they must live
alone, the well-rounded Christian will have friends. Some people are characterized as
"Lone Ranger Christians" because they do not know how to work or live with other
Christians. But this is not biblical. A Christian will learn from others and will help
others. Following are eight benefits the Christian gains from having friends.
1. A Christian with friends knows himself. The person who does not have
friends probably does not understand himself as well as the person who has many friends.
FRIENDS ARE MIRRORS. Just as a mirror shows the teenager his acne or the middleaged
person his gray hair, friends show us ourselves. Because friends mirror blemishes
as well as strengths, they help us see ourselves as we really are. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so
a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17).
2. A Christian with friends is a giver. The person without friends usually
goes through life as a consumer, without ever learning to give or be a producer.
FRIENDS ARE GIVERS. When a person enters a friendship, he will give something to
the other person. One of the things we give is advice. "Ointment and perfume rejoice the
heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel" (Proverbs 27:9).
Friendship is unselfish; it thinks of the other person. The Bible says, "Give, and it
shall be given unto you" (Luke 6:38). All that we give to our friends comes back to us.
When we give them love, affirmation, or happiness, they give the same to us.
3. A Christian with friends is open. The person without friends probably
wears a mask. But when a person has friends, he communicates freely with them.
FRIENDS ARE OPEN. But what about those who wear a mask? A mask is worn to
protect our weaknesses. When we are lonely or when we have pain, we wear a mask so
people will not know us or hurt us.
The first step to becoming strong is to be aware of our weaknesses. When a man
knows that he does not have a strong body, he is motivated to exercise and eat properly.
The first step to strengthening our personality is to take off our masks and be honest
about our weaknesses.
Friends never rip a mask off because skin usually comes off with it. Friends help
one another take the mask off slowly. When I was a young boy, my mother took Band-
Aids off my skin very slowly. Because I, like most boys, would yell when a Band-Aid
came off, mother seemed to take all afternoon slowly taking it off one millimeter at a
time. Love is slow. Love will not intentionally hurt another. "Faithful are the wounds of
a friend" (Proverbs 27:6).
4. A Christian with friends is growing. The person without friends grows
slowly and may be stunted. Why? Because they do not have someone to help them grow
in Christ. FRIENDS ARE SUPPORTERS. To have a Christian friend is to grow in
Christ. A businessman once told me, "I cannot afford friends in my business." Truly he