[Life Of David] Four Attributes of God-Honoring Friendships Sýnishorn

Kindness 

It says in 2 Samuel 9:7, “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.” That was David talking to Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son. He was being kind to the son of his loyal, sacrificial, encourager friend Jonathan. Kindness is another of the attributes of friendship. It is really important and necessary in good and godly friendships. 

There should be a kindness to our friendships. There should be loving-kindness. When I look back on my time as a student, I realize sometimes I really did wrong making fun of people as a kid. I look back on that and there are a couple of people that I made fun of, and I still, to this day, feel guilty about that. Why did I say many of the things I said? Because I was insecure, and they were an easy target. If you are a student, I want to encourage you to be kind. Do not roll your eyes at people. Not everything or everyone has to be categorized as “cool” or “not cool.” Be the student who sits with those who don’t have anybody else to sit with. Be kind to people. Be different.

Mephibosheth had injured his feet; he was a cripple. David showed him mercy. He sat at the king’s table. Spiritually speaking, we are all injured and crippled—we have all fallen and hurt ourselves in sin. Isn’t it a blessing when someone shows you kindness? What has Jesus shown us? His kindness leads us to repentance. Jesus Christ has been sacrificial, loyal, our encourager, who has shown us His kindness.

There is a poem, written by preacher Joseph M. Scriven, that later became a hymn called “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”  It says: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” The second verse adds, “Can we find a friend so faithful who will all of our sorrows share?” The third verse says, “Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.”

We have no greater friend than Jesus. Because of our friendship with Jesus, we can be good friends to someone else.

For more information regarding this devotional please follow this link: https://houstonsfirst.org/message/four-attributes-of-god-honoring-friendships