What kind of a friend am I?

I think we'd all like to say, "I'm a great friend.....blah, blah, blah". Do we truly live up to being a friend in the Christian sense? Galatians 6:2 mentions sharing a friend's burden and obeying the "law of Christ" to love one another. How can we live by this verse?
A few ways to be a friend is to offer prayer: asking for God to encourage your friend, give him/her wisdom and take their burden from them into His hands.

I think it's easy to say, "Oh, it will all work out......I'll be praying for you", but maybe it's ok to tell our friends we don't have the answers but we will be praying for them and the situation they're experiencing. Offer to be a listening ear and tell them that you care.

And if they are willing, suggest that they talk to a pastor or Bible study friend.

Remember Proverbs 17:17......a friend loves at all times. It doesn't say a friend loves only when we agree with our friend and the times are great!

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What kind of friend am I?
Whenever we and our friends suffer, the one sure thing we can cling to is the same belief Job held onto with all his might:

"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth." Job 19:25
My Redeemer Lives
By Nicole C. Mullen
Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
And who told the ocean you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide till evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Chorus:

Well I know my redeemer lives
I know my redeemer lives
All of creation testifies
This life within me cries
I know my redeemer lives

Ye-e-eah
The very same God
That spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken
They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know, my redeemer lives
I know my redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I-I-I know

My redeemer
He lives
To take away my shame
And he lives
Forever I'll proclaim
That the payment for my sin
Was the precious life He gave
And now he's alive and
There's an empty
Grave!

And I know
My redeemer lives
He lives
I know
My redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I-I-I know my redeemer

I know
My redeemer lives
I know my redeemer lives

I know, That I know, that I know, that I know
He lives
Because of him I can face tomorrow
He lives
I spoke with him this morning!
He lives
The tomb is empty
He lives

I gotta tell everybody.

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Someone Else's Wheels"
I can't believe I actually thought this could be fun," I thought to myself as my hands began to blister, "I'm almost as wrong as I was when I was nine and thought a cast on my arm would be cool."
I huffed and puffed up the ever-so-slight incline until, in a moment spent recalibrating the position of my arms and hands, my wheelchair began gaining momentum--in the wrong direction.
After a repeat performance up the incline, I made it into the arts center with a sense of accomplishment. I had never imagined I would feel so elated after merely entering a building.
"Where's the restroom?" I asked a student crossing the room.
"Over there," she gestured, half smiling, looking down to catch my gaze but trying nervously to avoid staring at me or my chair.
"Great," I thought to myself, "A handicapped sign. At least there's one place I'll have some peace today." I rolled myself toward the door and couldn't filter my frustration and anger as I exclaimed, "Unbelievable!! I see a giant stall in there, but my chair won't fit through the front door!"
In response to my diatribe, a couple of girls lifted me, carried me through the door, placed me into the handicapped stall, and waited until I was ready to be returned to the chair. My face burned with embarrassment as I thanked them.
My pulse raced as I rolled into afternoon design class half an hour late. "Why have I not allowed anyone to talk about their experience these past three weeks? Have you noticed, class, that every student eagerly got into the chair, ready to conquer the campus asking 'How hard can it be?'"
"Yes," I interrupted, "and as the last student to complete the assignment, it's a lot more difficult after just one day than I had ever dreamed. Simple tasks were nearly impossible. I will never be the same."
"Now that you have walked in someone else's shoes, or rolled on someone else's wheels," the professor added, "I hope you won't forget to design schools, stores, shopping malls, and more with them in mind."

Verse:
Galatians 6:2

Prayer:
Greatest Teacher,

Amen

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What Kind of Friend Am I?
'Mark 14:32-42' (New Living Translation)
Jesus' agony in the garden
32 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." 35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 "Abba, Father,"[h] he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." 37 Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." 39 Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. 40 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say. 41 When he returned to them the third time, he said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no--the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"

Moral- Originally I wrote a devotional on how we are the sleeping apostles. But I have read this passage again and found something new within it. That is why I recommend re-reading your bible, it is a living text and a passage can mean one thing to you at one time, and something totally different at another. But this time when I read it I couldn't help notice what it was Jesus really wanted. He was scared; he knew what he had to do, because he knew what was going to happen, he had been saying it all along. What he really needed at that moment was a friend. He needed a shoulder to cry on, or lean on, he needed a buddy, or one of his boy's. I imagine that Jesus may have been thinking to himself, ' here I have journeyed with you guys to all these places, we have taught, we have eaten together, slept next to each other, and basically did everything people can do together all this time. I have asked you guys twice to keep watch with me, and I have returned three times to find you sleeping, what kind of friends are you?' Christ had been telling them for months that he was destined to die, but they did not believe him, or they did not take him seriously. Jesus' request was very simple, just stay awake with me, can't you see that I am scared. He had been their teacher, but more than that, in all the time he spent with them I am sure he took time to listen to them as well, he was, in essence, their friend. But the apostles told Christ, as we have all heard in our lives, ' dude, I am just to tired right now, can we do that some other time. I understand that you are scared--scared to death, but my own exhaustion is the only thing I care about right now. Let me get some rest, and I will be your friend in the morning.' But by the morning, it was too late. So the lesson that we learn here is this.....we are to be like Christ. That does not mean that we can accuse or accost our friends, Christ did not, and nor shall we.

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What Kind of Friend Am I?
'Mark 14:32-42' (New Living Translation)
Jesus' agony in the garden
32 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 "Abba, Father,"[h] he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."
37 Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39 Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. 40 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say.
41 When he returned to them the third time, he said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no--the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"

It was comforting for me to realize, that even the Savior felt disappointment in his friends, but I am sure he did not die with that disappointment, I am sure he forgave, and so shall we. But as followers of Christ and children of God, "we" can be good friends to "everyone" around "us". We can be there for each other, whenever and wherever. The true test of your friendship is would you do something for your friends if it totally inconvenienced you, or if you had to lose a little sleep because they needed your shoulder. The lesson that I learned was not to expect too much from my friends, and I asked myself one very important question. A question that eased my mind, and made me stop worrying about how I had been wronged. It helped me to forgive, and helped me to forget. That question I ask each of you right now, and tell you to ask yourselves.....What kind of friend are you?

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