Why Friendships Wither
Theme of the Week: Find Your "Happy Few"
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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Key Bible Verse: Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father's. Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relative for assistance Proverbs 27:10. Bonus Reading: Proverbs 18:24; 19:4,6; 20:6; 19:4,6;; 20:6
There's a line in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall where he says to Diane Keaton, "A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we've got on our hands is a dead shark."
Some friendships die because they aren't moving forward—from stagnation or neglect. You meant to call but didn't. You knew it was his birthday but were too busy to celebrate.
Friendships need to be nurtured. When we're busy, we only do what comes easily, and even good friendships aren't always easy. So if your friend has an annoying trait, if he's loud, or cheap, or a habitual complainer, say, you're more likely to neglect the relationship. Of course, the same is true when your friend is neglecting you.
But whether it's you or him, neglect is sure to cause a rift. And when it does, it almost always catches us off guard, when we're going through stressful times at school, work, or home that makes us less attentive and less able to respond. That's why it can seem that the best friendships fail precisely when we need them the most.
—Les and Leslie Parrott in ChristianityToday.com
My Response: In what ways do I do "what comes easy" in relationships?
Thought to Apply: The most fatal disease of friendship is gradual decay. Friendships must be kept in constant repair. —Samuel Johnson (English writer)
Adapted from our sister publication ChristianityToday.com (12/02).
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Lord, I invite you to work in my life through a real friend. And please use me in his life as well.
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