Friendship’s Slippery Slope

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  Proverbs 17:17

 

One of my sister’s best friend’s just died.  It has really gotten me thinking about who best friends are and what makes them closer than others.  

I have recently studied the relationship between King David and his friend Jonathan in 1 Samuel.  Jonathan was the son of King Saul who wanted nothing more than he wanted to kill David.  Jonathan stood by his friend and tried to be his support and his encourager.  In 1 Samuel 23:16 we’re told: “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.” 

David was on the run from the King.  He was fearful and looking for places to hide.  Jonathan went to him and strengthened his hand in God.  Jonathan did not encourage David by telling him how strong, how able, how spiritual, or how smart he was.  He strengthened David by reminding him how Great God is.  In the next verse, he reminds him of God’s word that David would be the King of Israel.   

After I first became a Christian I remember hearing a man say that a Christian’s best friends should also be Christian.  He actually went ahead to say that if they were not Christians that person’s salvation may need to checked because they were not looking for those who would strengthen them in the Lord.  At the time I was appalled.  Most of my friends then were non- Christians.  Now I get it. 

I just spent some time with a good Christian friend who I had not seen in a while.  The reason we had not seem him was that he has become involved with a non-Christian person who is taking most of his time.  I could hear in our conversation that he is not being encouraged in the Lord!  

A year ago this man was one of those Christians that gave God the glory and the credit due Him in all things.  If we found a good restaurant he saw it as a blessing from the Lord.  If we found a bad one – he saw it as a blessing.  If we gave a person some credit for any accomplishment he would be quick to remind us of the Lord’s work in that person.  He was an “iron sharpens iron” kind of friend.  Some of that is gone now.  

When we were together as he talked about a vacation and all the sights they were able to see as they travelled he, several times, talked about how “fortunate” they had been.  Every Christian knows there is no such thing as luck in this life.  God is sovereign.  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  (James 1:17).   

My concern is for every child of God to understand the slippery slope.  The unbeliever our friend is spending so much time with is a very nice person, by worldly standards.  I can see though, that he is backing away from his strong stance for the Lord when that person is around.  This is not good, it does not put God first in his life.  He is on a slippery slope to outright denying the Lord’s guidance in his life.  This will be a far more painful separation than losing a friend.  

One of the great things about studying the Old Testament is that it gives such a great picture of God’s mercy.  Generation after generation God’s people, the Israelites, would fall away from God and worship idols.  They would sin grievously against God and He would bring it to their attention.  He would start with gentle nudges but if they didn’t listen God would send greater affliction to waken them to their sin.  He would do this until they repented and were restored in their relationship with Him.  He so wanted them to be in that relationship that He was relentless in showing them their sin.  It was merciful of Him to restore them.   

The same God nudges and pushes and knock at the hearts of His children today to show them their sin.  It is truly a slippery slope.  A friendship turns to a romantic relationship which turns into a sexual relationship which turns into a marriage.  Even if both partners are Christian the order is wrong.  If one is Christian and one is not it should never pass the friend stage.  That unbeliever may be an encourager but they will not encourage the Christian in the Lord.  

One of the problems with a slippery slope is that they are very hard to get off of.  Jesus said, “If you love Me you will obey my commands.”  2 Corinthians 6:14  states it pretty clearly, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”   

Isaiah 59:2 reminds us that sin separates us from God.  He will work on us to restore that realtionship, convicting us of sin.  Will we be listening to Him or to the world?