Friendly Traits

Friends Pt 3  John 11 & 12

Integrity  Bud Wrenn  2.13.11

 

What to Look For in a Friend – and Being a Friend: 

 

1) Courage to move forward in difficult situations.

John 11:7-8 (NIV)  7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

2) Wisdom that leads to better decisions.

John 11:9-10 (NIV)  9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

John 11:11 (NIV) 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

3) Healthy emotional balance that stays steady when things are tough.

John 11:21-22 (NIV)  21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

4) An empathetic spirit that shares in others' emotional joy and pain.

John 11:32-35 (NIV) 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35 Jesus wept.

5) A sense of loyalty that sticks during the tough times.

John 11:53-54 (NIV)  53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.  54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

6) A time-tested commitment to the relationship.

John 12:12-13 (NIV)  12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"