HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 139
page A137
• MAT T H E W 5 :4 3 -4 7 | “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate
your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! . . . If you are kind only to your friends, how are
you different from anyone else?”
Jesus expects his followers to love not only friends but also enemies.
What do I do when I’m having trouble making friends?
• J O B 1 9 :1 9 | “My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me.”
• J O H N 5 :7 | “I have no one to put me into the pool.”
We all go through times when it seems our friends have deserted us. Examine your relationships to make sure you are not causing the breach.
• J O H N 1 5 :1 5 | “I no longer call you slaves. . . . Now you are my friends.”
• H E B R E W S 1 3 :5 | “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Remember that God is your constant friend and will never leave you. Keep showing God’s
love to others, and they will be drawn to you.
• E PH E SI A NS 4 :3 2 | Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
• 1 K I NG S 5 :1 | King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram
learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to
congratulate him.
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Acts of kindness and generosity attract others to you.
Everyone wants to have good friends, but few are willing to invest the time and effort
necessary to build such relationships. You may not make friends quickly and easily,
but you can build strong, lasting friendships over time. It might help you to consider
the qualities you desire in a good friend—then work to develop those qualities in your
own life.
Whether casual or romantic, male/female friendships can involve unique
pressures and temptations. Does the Bible offer any guidelines for dating
relationships?
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 3 :4 -5 | Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. . . . It does not
demand its own way.
Paul’s timeless description of Christian love becomes the standard of respect and decency
that should mark all our relationships, including our dating relationships.
• E PH E SI A NS 5 :3 , 1 8 | Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. . . .
Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
• MAT T H E W 5 :2 8 | “Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.”
In dramatic contrast to much that we see in our modern world, Jesus calls us to a standard
of sexual purity in thought as well as in deed.
Why is it important to feel like you belong somewhere?
• DE U T E R O NO MY 3 3 :2 7 | “The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are
under you.”
• R O MA NS 1 :6 | And you are included among those . . . who have been called to belong to
Jesus Christ.
• R O MA NS 8 :1 | So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
We all need a sense of belonging, for in belonging is security and acceptance. When you
feel you belong, you feel secure and accepted. Feeling accepted gives you confidence to
share your deepest feelings without worry of rejection. And when you belong to God, that
security and acceptance can never be taken away—it lasts for eternity.
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• MAT T H E W 7 :1 2 | “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.”