[Faith-talk] Fw: tafn-Room-for-your-beliefs Daily Thought for Friday, September 12, 2014

[Paul]

Don't know if I sent this to you guys or not, but in case I didn't the first time here it is.  Paul
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Paul 
To: Spiritual discussion list 
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:25 PM
Subject: tafn-Room-for-your-beliefs Daily Thought for Friday, September 12,2014


Hello and good Friday to my loyal readers out there, except of course you who live in Australia and New Zealand where it's a Saturday morning.  I hope that everyone is having a good day, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.

The title of today's contribution is "Fragrant Friendship," again by an author whose name is not given.  It is rendered as follows, beginning with a quote from Proverbs.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. (Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)

"Come on, let's go walking early tomorrow morning." My friend called to encourage me to get up and exercise because I had been complaining about the way my clothes fit.

"You know, when our son was in the same situation, this is what worked for us." A friend offered some timely advice after I shared a concern about our adult offspring.

"There is no sense in beating yourself up about it.  It is over and done.  Pick up the pieces and move on." A colleague offered some good advice when one of my assignments had not worked out quite the way I had hoped.

"Have you ever considered that he did not mean it that way? Perhaps he is just concerned about you and is trying to help." A mentor offered an alternative perspective when I took offense at the words of a relative.

There are so many times when I needed the wise words of a friend to encourage me, to get my thoughts back on track, or to help me contemplate my options when I am making a decision.  I know I can operate on my own; but I also know that sometimes I get lost in the muddle of my own thoughts, and a good friend helps to bring perspective and sharpen my focus.

Good friends do that for us.  They love us enough to get involved, to offer advice, and to make helpful observations.  Giving counsel is a risky business.  What if you say the wrong thing? What if your friend gets upset? What if she does not want to hear what you have to offer her? Those are all real possibilities, yet I think a true friend is willing to take those risks.

The proverb of wise King Solomon pairs the statement about the earnest counsel of a friend with an observation about perfume and incense.  What an unusual combination, or is it? Perfume and incense arouse our senses, focus our thoughts, and linger long after the source is gone.  Is not good counsel just like that? Initially, when we hear words of counsel, we might become a bit defensive or uneasy.  We may even feel relieved or concerned.  But then we really think about the advice our friends have given us.  We examine their words from different angles and explore new possibilities for our current situation.  Then, days or hours later, we integrate those suggestions into our own circumstances.  We accept what we feel may help, and we modify or even discard other parts; yet the results are often the same as those Solomon describes:  Joy is produced in our hearts.  We find joy in knowing that someone cares about us enough to help us improve, to lift a concern, or to change our outlook.

So many people in our world live isolated, independent lives and are unwilling to risk establishing deep, trusting friendships.  But it is through friendship that God touches our hearts with His care and concern.  Through the voices of good friends, He reassures us that we are valued and loved.  In a society that values rugged individualism, dependence upon one another is sometimes discounted as a weakness.  But if we want the sweet perfume of friendship to scent our relationships, we need to be willing both to receive and share earnest counsel as friends.  The Scriptures remind us that we please God when we love one another in words and in deeds.  Are you willing to both accept and offer fragrant friendship?

Dear Lord, help me to be a fragrant friend.  May the words I share bring joy to my friend's heart.  And may I have the humility to listen when she shares earnest counsel with me.  Amen.

And there you have it for today.  I would suspect, even though I can't prove, that the above article was written by a woman, owing to the feminine pronouns that she wrote.

Tomorrow the Daily Thought might be late, owing to the fact that I'm going to a Christian singles picnic locally, but never fear:  It will be posted.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul


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