PROVERBS‬ ‭27‬:‭10‬ ‭AMP

“Do not abandon your own friend and your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.”

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GOLD NUGGETS

Stay loyal and loving to your friends as far as you possibly can. Loyalty is a strong feeling of support or allegiance. It is simply an unswerving or an unwavering allegiance.
As Christians our friends and members may not do what conforms to Scripture at all times. Some actions may even require church discipline as described in Matthew 18.
However, we will still have to love and remain loyal to them. Church discipline must always be exercised in love and it must be geared towards restoration. Loyalty and love in this case would mean continuing in prayer for our friends or members. The opposite of friendship is isolation. And how much emotional damage is the result of that? “The world is so empty” if it is devoid of human relationships, fellowship and love. God is a relational Being who has fellowship with Himself. He created us in His nature. He made us for relationships and it is His will and purpose that we cultivate a circle of friends. Every friend is different. No one has a double in friendship.
The more we have, the richer we are. Dr Lawrence Crabb says, “Every day we ought to move out from our base in the home and say to ourselves: Lord, help me reach out and touch someone deep in their being today, not for the rewards it brings me in terms of good feelings, but for the blessing I can be to them.” Jesus lived and acted like this. Perhaps this is why they called Him “the Friend of sinners”. He hated sin, but loved sinners. What an oxymoron He is. Loyalty is God’s nature. Let’s emulate that.
Have a fruitful week. SHALOM: God’s all encompassing blessings to you