Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 838 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
True Friendship – Ask Gramps
Thank you for joining us for our five days per week, wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 838 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.
As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time where we can Ask Gramps. Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask dad or gramps questions about life in many areas.
We will address areas such as finances, relationships, health/fitness, business/work, home repairs/renovations, seasons of life, spiritual/Biblical questions, and any others areas that come our way. As your fellow sojourner and mentor on this trek that we call life, it is Gramps goal to provide you with practical wisdom and advice about any area of life. It is crucial that I receive a constant flow of questions, so please submit your questions to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com. And Gramps will answer your questions on our Friday podcast.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We all desire to be liked and accepted by others; it is part of our nature. To expand that into having close friends is more difficult.
So our question for today is…
“Hey Gramps, I desire to have close friends, and also be friends to others, but I find this is difficult for me. What is true friendship, and how can I have friends and also be a good friend to others?”
True Friendship
The first principle is “to have friends and to be a friend you must show yourself friendly.” The second overall principle is that “you cannot like or love others unless you love yourself.”
It is impossible to love and accept others without first loving and accepting yourself. God created you uniquely to be a bearer of His image. You are a child of the King, joint heirs with Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me,” John [15:13]-15.
Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His “friends.” What is more, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him.
There is an example of true friendship between David and King Saul’s son Jonathan, who, in spite of his father Saul’s pursuit of David and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend. You will find that story in 1 Samuel chapters 18 through chapter 20.
Proverbs is another good source of wisdom regarding friends. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Also Proverbs 18:24 reads, “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” The issue here is that in order to have a friend, one must be a friend. Being a friend also means that sometimes you have to confront your friend as found in Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” Good, close friends, also help each other improve and to become better in all aspects of life. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
The principle of friendship is also found in Amos 3:3, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” Friends are of like mind. The truth that comes from all of this is a friendship is a relationship that is entered into by individuals, and it is only as good or as close as those individuals choose to make it. If you are married, then certainly your spouse should be your closest and best friend, and for some, that friendship will fill the need for other really close friends.
Someone has said that if you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand, you are blessed. A friend is one whom you can be yourself with and never fear that he or she will judge you. A friend is someone that you can confide in with complete trust. A friend is someone you respect, and that respects you, not based upon worthiness but based upon a likeness of mind. The fact is that few people have the emotional or spiritual capacity to have more than few close friends that they can invest and pour their lives into.
Finally, the real definition of a true friend comes from the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:7-8, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Let’s sum up a close friendship with John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Now, that is true friendship!
Next week we will have a different question to Ask Gramps. Gramps will answer any questions you may have about life and will provide you with practical wisdom about any area of life. Please submit questions that you have to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com, and Gramps will answer them on our Friday podcast with wisdom and philosophy that Gramps has gained over his years of experience and study.
I know you will find these insights interesting, practical, and profitable in living a rich and satisfying life. Our next trek is Mediation Monday where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 837 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play, so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!