Being a friend. We are known by our fruit!

There is an old saying, "Your best friend, is a dollar in your pocket." Which means, you have friends as long as you have money to spend. But! I'm here to tell you, "Your best friend is JESUS in your heart!" I can I get an AMEN? Speaking of friends, make sure you have a few friends around, that will be there through thick and thin. I am blessed with life long friendships and with a few new ones. The old Girl Scout song, was that one is silver and the other is gold. Oh! yes! I am blessed and nostalgic this morning. Friends often become like minded over the years. Isn't that what the BIBLE tells us about being a Christian?

Phillipians 2:1-13 (KJV) If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

I find myself, standing alone in a crowd of people. I'm talking about church folks here. There are clicks in the church. Do gooders, but they won't have anything to do with me. I ask, is this Christ like behavior? No, it isn't. GOD also said, we will be known by our fruit. Our behavior towards others, is a tale tale sign. You see, I watch others. It is a part of my past management skills, and retail experiences. I pay attention to body gestures. How one stands, sits, speaks, listens. I see a lot of people talking, but no one really listening. We go to church, to learn about GOD and HIS WORD, for us. We go and sit in a santuary, to listen to the preacher. But, when we leave, that setting, do we remember anything that was said? Let's pray that we are set apart, in CHRIST JESUS, and good at listening and engaging others. We need to build up the body of CHRIST. I have had my fill, of church gossips. We don't need a gossip. We need to take private conversations as just that, private. Learning to pray, for a need when it is asked, right then and there, is also important. I am bad to say, I will pray and later to forget. So, I try to make it a habbit to pray, immediately, upon the request. These little things, are important to build relationships among friends, also. I want to be a good, godly friend, to all I meet. I ask cahsiers and people, I meet, if they need prayers. Overwhelmingly, they do. I take a moment to ask and to pray with that person. Not only to meet a need, but to build a relationship, that there are people who really do care. If CHRIST is our example, then these things, will begin to become natural to us. But it takes a little effort on our part. I search my heart daily, I ask GOD to root out, anything that is not becoming and to place within me the right things, from HIM. We are, afterall, the only JESUS some people will ever see. If we are acting in CHRIST's behalf, and HE dwells within us, these things, will become natural and wanted. JESUS drew crowds around HIM.If we can draw one person, then we are on the right track.