”One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24New International Version (NIV)
Proverbs 18:24 Devotional
The friend who sticks closer than a brother
“The friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) is a friend who can be relied (counted) on. Therefore, he/she is a reliable friend. And a reliable friend is a person who will be there for you in all seasons, more so in your season of need.
Consequently, you will not come to ruin because your friend will come through for you in your season of need. And it is no wonder that it is said: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” That is, the person who helps you at a difficult time is a person who you can rely on.
Unreliable friends
But there are unreliable friends. These are friends who cannot be relied on especially during our difficult times. They will therefore let us down, disappoint us, disappear on us, and turn on us during such times. And by so doing, they will make us end up in ruin in our time of need.
Reliable friends
Therefore, the dominant quality of a reliable friend is that they can be counted on at all times. And the Wise man adds that the friendship of a reliable friend goes beyond the obligations that brothers in a family have for one another.
Moreover, a good example is the friendship between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 19), where they remained faithful to one another in spite of the challenges that could have interfered with their faithfulness. And the conclusive observation is that their friendship went beyond the friendship that is between brothers in a family.
In fact, Jonathan made sure that David escaped from his father’s murderous schemes, acts that were very risky in themselves. And when Jonathan died, David lamented as it is recorded in 2 Samuel 1:25-26.
Therefore, reliable friends are beneficial to you. And the benefits span the mental, physiological, emotional, and physical spheres of your life.
Reliable friends are not common
Additionally, the Wise man alludes to the reality that reliable friends are not common. They are few and far between in the process of our socialization.
Consequently, you need to be able to identify (choose) a potential reliable friend from the numerous people you socialize with. And most often than not, you will choose a friend from the spaces where you spend most of your time – that is, school, work, or church.
But remember that Proverbs 18:24 guides that when a reliable friend is your company, you will not come to ruin. Therefore, the dominant quality of a potential reliable friend is reliability (trustworthiness). That is, they can be relied on in difficult times. And this can be proven over time through the various progressive shared difficult situations.
Nevertheless, there are other qualities including and not limited to the following.
- time – liking to create and spend time with you
- compassion – caring, encouraging, and supportive (even when it is at a risk)
- accommodation – accepting you as you are
- listening
- open and honest,
Number of friends
A large number of friends does not translate to help in your time of need because unreliable friends thrive in numbers. And this is because unreliable friends are able to hide in numbers. Numbers give them the opportunity to be lazy in their friendship with you – they are able to run away from putting in the time and effort required to maintain a true/genuine friendship.
Nevertheless, many people have found themselves in a scenario where their many friends quickly disappear during difficult times – they become absent. And social media has done more harm than good in this regard.
Consequently, this era of social media promotes many superficial connections who are called “friends” in the various social media platforms. But in reality, there are a few true friends.
Therefore, even the most connected person on social media can be lonely. That’s why many are depressed, and some are suicidal despite having many “friends”.
Jesus is our reliable friend
But we also have a Reliable Friend. He who truly sticks closer than a brother, a Friend Who never lets us down, a Friend Who is always there (2 Timothy 4:17). And He testifies of Himself that “His love is the greatest because He lay down His life for us” (John 15:13).
Therefore, blessed are those who have Jesus as their Friend (John 15:14). He is unlike the many who are unreliable, for His friendship can be relied upon at all times. And He has promised to “Never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Prayer/Blessing
Jesus will stand by your side always. He is faithful, true, caring, and loving.
Therefore, if you have not accepted Him as your Friend, then may you accept Him as your Friend. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Genesis 40-42 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
