Fair Weather Friends

Proverbs 18:24

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,

    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I would have to say that in my walk with Jesus as a born-again believer my deepest pain has come from "fair-weather friends".  I am reminded of this scripture from King David:

"Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9).

I can handle people from a distance doing me wrong, but when a close friend, a really close friend hurts me, well, it hurts.  LOL.  In the past several months, I lost a few very, very close friends in my life.  What hurt the most is there was no explanation for it.  Well, one tried telling me that they were going "through some things" in their life.  I believe them.  But they completely cut us off from their lives.  These were people that we vacationed with and I took it VERY, very hard.

Another set of people very close to us seem to be led in a different path right now.  I understand different seasons, however, like the weather, they were one way today and a different way the next.  

I came to realize my issues with people were not the problem.  I was the problem  So tonight I had a talk with the Lord.  Through tears, painful tears, I repented to Him.  I repented for putting all these relationships on a pedestal and esteeming humans higher than I ought to have.  It was not that I was so wrong; it was that I loved too deeply.  My level of loyalty may not be another's.

Glory to God that He heard my prayers!  I feel refreshed, renewed, and ready for battle.  God taught me this tonight, that in ministry I have no family, friends, or feelings.  It is not that I am cold or indifferent.  And it is not that I do not need people in my life. I need the love of my brothers and sisters.  It is that I am on a mission from Heaven.  And if I am going to allow mere people to make me lose the wind in my sails, then how can God use me?  People will ALWAYS make mistakes (as I have made) and I need to understand this.  By getting so upset, it distracts me from my mission.  And this is exactly what satan wants.

My eyes are now fixed on Jesus.  I have released those that I feel drove a stake through my heart and I have moved on.  However, I also realize that I too am infallible and have hurt many people.  Therefore, I CANNOT hold any grudges against anyone for the very things I have done.  I humbly submit myself to the Lord and Him alone.  

AMEN!