Mapperley Monday Morning Mail 21st September 2015

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Ben here with this week's Monday Morning Mail:

 

Yesterday we continued our studies in the book of Proverbs as we explored the topic of Friends and Neighbours.

 

Today we live in a highly connected world where instant communication across the globe is possible at the click of a mouse. Yet despite the fact that we're probably more connected than ever, a recent survey indicted as many as 20% of adults feel lonely. Life is also chaotic and relationships with friends and neighbours are rarely easy or uneventful.

 

Proverbs speaks into this situation with God inspired insights on how to live wisely, how to live life well. As we've seen over the last few weeks, it begins by saying put Jesus at the centre and then listen to his wisdom about how to be wise friends and neighbours. In Proverbs these relationships can be both close personal friendships and people we come into regular contact with like next door neighbours and work colleagues.

 

Proverbs has lots of insights for being a good friend and neighbour - we'll focus on just two aspects,  being careful and being committed.

 

Be Careful

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20). The people we spend time with have an amazing ability to influence us, sometimes without us realising. They can help us live in a way that pleases Jesus, or in a way that causes us to wander from his wisdom. We should also be careful to treat others well - recognising that the words we say and the things we do can build people up as well as tear them down. One of the shocks of Proverbs is that it encourages us to care for people even when they don't care for us as He who covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends (Proverbs 17:9). Are we careful with our friends and neighbours, aware of their influence on us and seeking to influence them by shining with the good news of Jesus? Do we seek to be careful with them even when they're not very careful with us?

 

Be Committed

Proverbs encourages us to have some close friends who are committed through both the hard and easy times a friend that loves at all times… (Proverbs 17:17a), as well as being committed to our neighbours more generally, especially when they are in need (see Proverbs 14:21). Proverbs also encourages us to have one or two close friendships that are not romantic relationships, most probably with the same sex, where we're so committed to each other we're willing to tell each other how it is, as Wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses (Proverbs 27:6).

 

These kind of close friendships can be a real joy (see Proverbs 27:9) as we can encourage each other to live wisely for Jesus. They can also be a great picture of the good news of Jesus – as people can be attracted to Jesus by the depth of friendship and neighbourliness displayed by his followers (see John 13:35). So is St Jude's a place where these kind of committed friends and neighbours are found and developed?

 

If you're anything like me, Proverbs vision for friends and neighbours sounds great but seems impossible. More often than not we're letting each other down and hurting one another rather than being careful and committed. But the wise person has Jesus at the centre. Jesus who is a truly careful and truly committed friend – influencing us positively, caring when we don't deserve it, loving us always and transforming us to be more like him. Jesus demonstrated his love for us by dying for us when we were his enemies, so that we could be his friends (see Romans 5:8). Jesus' love means we can take the risk to be careful and committed to others, because we're always safe in his arms; if we make mistakes he offers forgiveness, when others fail us he remains faithful.

 

So let Jesus be the friend at the centre the one who helps you be a wise friend and neighbour to others.

 

Every Blessing in Jesus,

Ben 

 

 

 

 

 

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