Parenting by the Book
STUDY 325
Text: Proverbs 27
16 September 2007
Dear Parents,
GOOD FRIENDSHIP
The Book of Proverbs offers some of the finest descriptions of friendship. The following is but one of several.
A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.Proverbs 17:17
What a joy and blessing it is to have good and true friends!
BAD FRIENDSHIP
We have a description of a false friend in the following text:
He who blesses his friend with a loud voice,
Rising early in the morning,
It will be counted as a curse to him.Proverbs 27:14
What is a bad friend? Let us ponder the above text carefully.
1. An insensitive person
a) The early riser
The description in the text describes a person who is obviously an early riser.
b) No sensitivity to others
Not every person is an early riser. The insensitive person does not seem to understand or appreciate this fact at all.
c) He rouses all his friends early in the morning
The early riser figures that everybody must “rise and shine” seeing himself as the role model, the perfect pattern for others.
2. There are other types of people
a) Some are not “morning persons”.
b) Others may have had a bad night… fighting illness.
c) Still others may be struggling with their problems through the night.
Insensitivity to others is a typical expression of one who is “a bad friend”. For all his enthusiasm, he will be cursed by others.
Prayerfully,
Pastor Charlie