Frustrated with Friends?

Remember Job’s Friends?

There are many types of friends as described in the book of Job.  Our friends can all have good intentions yet somewhere along the way events occur and life happens. What you had enjoyed as friendship changes into something other than what the relationship started out to be.

Maybe you are going through a very difficult time and you have despaired due to your circumstances. A time when you need your friends to understand and you find that no one really supports you.  Maybe it is friend’s that you have had for years or a Facebook friend.  Instead of extending love, acceptance and forgiveness they are giving you all the reasons why you are going through these trials. Words that only bring about more discouragement.  In turn, the words push you to deeper despair and disappointment.  Well intentioned words sometimes can serve to chip away at hope leaving you feeling guilty or undeserving. 

A friend who thinks that they understand what you are facing will sometimes offer words of judgment rather than words that encourage and support.  They may be acting in an air of self-righteousness with an attitude of superior spirituality. This approach only serves to make one feel condemned, guilty, shamed and unworthy. 

In the story of Job, the word of the Lord came to him telling him pray for his friends. In obedience to the Lord he prayed and God turn his captivity. The curse was broken and God restored double what he had lost. There are times when we’ve experienced loss, hurt, pain or failure that we must turn to God and begin to focus on praying for our friends when they have misunderstood or been down right hateful. They possibly have given advice and direction that was incorrect and even become judgmental. When we can find it possible to extend grace and mercy to pray for them, we will find that the Lord turns things around in our circumstances that bring about healing and restoration. Love, acceptance and forgiveness are important when it comes to praying for our friends and others.

Let’s learn a lesson from Job who lost everything, even his wife turned against him. Job’s predicament changed after he prayed for his friends. The last part of his life he was blessed more than he ever had been.  God restored double all that Job had lost. God is faithful and he has the last say about what happens in our lives. Let this next year be one of experiencing the break through that we need.