He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10 (NKJV) The best way to determine future behaviour is to examine past behaviour. Let’s say you need a babysitter and you are considering two candidates. One of the girls helps out in the community, treats the kids on the block well and is always respectful. She has a great track record. The other girl has thrown beer bottles at your house, you have seen her and her boyfriend doing drugs and she yells at kids regularly. Deciding to hire the responsible girl makes sense, but is that judgemental? Jesus said not to judge people, so how …

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV) When you choose the company you keep, you choose the direction your life will go. Do you know where you’re heading? Some tolerate friends who act like dead weight in life. Although the friendship holds them back, they struggle to cut the rope. Sometimes this is because they have a martyr complex. Other times, they just don’t see that they have the choice to confront, distance themselves or end the relationship. Every person you enter into a relationship with has the power to influence you. This emphasizes the importance of selecting close friends wisely. Not all friendships bring good things into our lives. We need to …

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 (NLT) The book of Proverbs contains many principles for building great friendships. Yesterday we covered two keys—check your motives and speak genuine words of encouragement. Here are two more friendship principles from Proverbs: 1. Give sound advice (heartfelt counsel). It’s great to be a cheerleader, but don’t forget that your friends need honesty as well. When they share their problems and conflicts, keep in mind that you are only hearing part of the story. Don’t just jump on their bandwagon—usually there is an element of exaggeration to the story. It can be difficult to say things that you know will sting, but sometimes they need to be said. Most will …

I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] John 15:15 (AMPC) Jesus, the King of kings, calls you His friend according to John 15:15. You may know that He is your friend, but have you ever really thought about it? Most religions teach people to strive to appease an impossible-to-please god. Some worship stone idols, looking to placate angry gods. They may even pour the last of the milk into holes in the idol when their family …

Friends love through all kinds of weather. Proverbs 17:17 (MSG) We can tend to want to find great friends who will meet our needs, but friendship is really about doing life together. It’s about sharing in the good times and helping each other through difficult seasons. Here is what Proverbs has to say about being there for our friends: 1. Have an undying loyalty to your true friends. Proverbs 27:10 (NLT) says Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. This verse is not talking about being loyal to those who are hurting you; keep yourself safe from unsafe people and have healthy boundaries. However, you can stay loyal to your friends even if they make mistakes. When you treat friends with love, acceptance and …