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DO YOU HAVE A 2 A.M. FRIEND?
“If you had a crisis at 2 a.m., who would you call?” Ponder that question for just a moment. Who would you call? Does a name or two come to mind? That was the question posed to a group of men at an elders’ retreat.
Each of the men at the retreat mentioned the names of old army buddies, guys they played sports with, college frat brothers, or family members. But surprisingly, not one elder mentioned the name of another man in the room or another man in the church. What was clear was that the relationships among these men was polite but superficial. Being a 2 a.m. friend takes time. And it takes getting real and open about your life.
David and Jonathan definitely had a 2 a.m. friendship. If you are a 2 a.m. friend, below is some evidence of that kind of friendship.
You Come to Your Friend’s Defense
A 2 a.m. friend protects his friend and doesn’t let other people hurt him. First Samuel 19:1–2 says Jonathan had a strong affection for David and even had to protect David from Jonathan’s own father. You probably won’t have to protect your friends from physical persecution, but you will have to protect them in conversations.
You Speak Well of Your Friend When They’re Not Around
First Samuel 19:4 says Jonathan said many good things about David.
What a gift to have a friend you can always trust to speak well of you. A good reputation is a precious thing and a 2 a.m. friend can be counted on to protect our reputation.
You Are There for Them in Times of Crisis
When Saul once again tried to kill David, Jonathan found David and said, “Tell me what I can do to help you” (1 Samuel 20:4 NLT).
This is the friend you know will be there for you no matter what the situation. You don’t have to prove yourself to a 2 a.m. friend. You don’t have to impress them and you don’t have to wonder if they are on your team.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Do you have at least one 2 a.m. friend and are you a 2 a.m. friend to at least one other person?
Today’s Takeaway
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”(Proverbs 18:24).
“If you had a crisis at 2 a.m., who would you call?” Ponder that question for just a moment. Who would you call? Does a name or two come to mind? That was the question posed to a group of men at an elders’ retreat.
Each of the men at the retreat mentioned the names of old army buddies, guys they played sports with, college frat brothers, or family members. But surprisingly, not one elder mentioned the name of another man in the room or another man in the church. What was clear was that the relationships among these men was polite but superficial. Being a 2 a.m. friend takes time. And it takes getting real and open about your life.
David and Jonathan definitely had a 2 a.m. friendship. If you are a 2 a.m. friend, below is some evidence of that kind of friendship.
You Come to Your Friend’s Defense
A 2 a.m. friend protects his friend and doesn’t let other people hurt him. First Samuel 19:1–2 says Jonathan had a strong affection for David and even had to protect David from Jonathan’s own father. You probably won’t have to protect your friends from physical persecution, but you will have to protect them in conversations.
You Speak Well of Your Friend When They’re Not Around
First Samuel 19:4 says Jonathan said many good things about David.
What a gift to have a friend you can always trust to speak well of you. A good reputation is a precious thing and a 2 a.m. friend can be counted on to protect our reputation.
You Are There for Them in Times of Crisis
When Saul once again tried to kill David, Jonathan found David and said, “Tell me what I can do to help you” (1 Samuel 20:4 NLT).
This is the friend you know will be there for you no matter what the situation. You don’t have to prove yourself to a 2 a.m. friend. You don’t have to impress them and you don’t have to wonder if they are on your team.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Do you have at least one 2 a.m. friend and are you a 2 a.m. friend to at least one other person?
Today’s Takeaway
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”(Proverbs 18:24).
About this Plan
Getting stuck is never fun. Worse than getting stuck in traffic or in a long line is getting stuck spiritually. In this devotional, you will walk with some of the great heroes of the faith and principles from Romans 12 to discover how you can get unstuck and experience spiritual momentum. Pastor and author Lance Witt breathes fresh insight into the journey of some great trailblazers of the Christian faith.
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We would like to thank Living On The Edge and Lance Witt for providing this plan. For more information go here: http://livingontheedge.org/ or http://www.replenish.net/
