Yeh Dosti!

Salaam!

Are you a good dost or a bad one? It is extremely valuable to have good friends but to have good friends, you need to be a good friend.

What does it mean to be a good dost?

The Book of Job gives us great insight into that. Initially, Job’s three friends started off great. We see how they set out to meet him when they heard about his troubles to sympathise and comfort him. Seeing his misery, they wept and mourned with him for seven days and seven nights without saying a word (Job 2:11-13).

Romans 12:15 says: "mourn with those who mourn", precisely what Job’s friends initially did.

When your friends are suffering, the best thing you can do is to put an arm around them and participate in their suffering as though it is your own.

The one thing you want to avoid is to do what the friends did next; rationalise Job’s suffering and assume that it was linked to his sin. As they go on and on, Job gets increasingly frustrated with them and so does God! In the end, God said to Job’s friends:

“I am angry with you and your two friends because you have not spoken the truth about Me, as my servant Job has” - Job 42:7.

When you counsel a friend, pray to God for wisdom to say the right thing and make sure you demonstrate God’s unconditional love through your words and actions. Be encouraging and remind them of God’s greatness and all the wonderful things He has done in their lives and yours!

Can you think of a friend who could use some encouragement today? It could be as simple as sharing this reading plan with them.

Hey! You are a Chamatkar.

Jenny Mendes