The basis of any relationship starts with what you have in common. Usually, that is the starting point. You meet someone at a ballgame, church, work, or wherever, and you start from there. Your meeting point is your first common ground. From that, you get to know one another and explore the other avenues you share in common.
Proverbs 27:9 “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.”
Proverbs 27:9 teaches that a good friend is “sweetness” to our soul. In the last few years, essential oils have become very popular as agents to heal. Smells of certain things can change our moods in a moment. Walk into a home where your favorite childhood cookie is just coming out of the oven, and immediately you are taken back to sweet memories. Smells are now used to heal or relieve ailments. For instance, peppermint is great to open the sinuses and give relief to headaches. All of us have different preferences for certain smells and they exhilarate our spirit! As should the counsel of a dear friend. When we have a problem, this person should come to mind. We want to share our situation with them and find out what they have to say. For a Christian, this person must be someone who will give you counsel based on the word of God.
If you are a Christian, your faith must be your common ground. There can be no friendship that is as deep and satisfying as one based on the common ground of scripture. This kind of friendship goes to the depths of the soul. It no longer is superficial it resides deep within us. This kind of friend brings rejoicing to the heart. You have someone you can trust to give you faithful godly advice. You can unburden your soul to its depths. The sweetness of this friendship does not lie in the laughter or fun times, but in the hearty counsel sincerely given without flattery. It is real!
Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
This friend is picking up your load and helping carry it. If you have a 100 – pound object and you are trying to carry it by yourself, it can be very laboring. However, if someone grabs the other end you suddenly feel relieved because even though the load didn’t change, sharing it takes half of it off you. It’s the same when we have a friend that can come alongside us. The common ground of scripture teaches them how to be a profitable friend. Scripture gives the answer to all our problems either in direct command or in principle. The answer is there.
A true friend in Christ can help you to see that, and remind you of the truth of the word when your faith is weak. This “common ground” friend gives balance to your life. When your emotions are out of control they remind you of where your focus should be. They hold you up in prayer. They can look at the big picture that you cannot see, in the middle of your storm.
If you are a Christian and your best friend is not, you need to seek out someone that is devoted to God and His word. The advice you are getting from someone who is not saved will be based on their own logic and it will steer you in the wrong direction. While you may feel better telling this person your problems you will come to no real answers that will give peace and truth. Solving man’s problems with man’s ways leads to destruction in the end. We are created as spiritual beings and therefore, every situation can be solved through a biblical application. Solomon said, “there is no new thing under the sun.”
This friend will challenge you in meaningful ways by “sharpening” your thinking. They will expand your interest, balance your weaknesses and push you to have godly character traits. I know we have used this verse before in this series but it sure fits perfectly here.
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
I challenge you today to find someone you know that will give you answers based on God’s word. Get to know them, invite them into your home, pick their brain for situations you are facing, and heed their advice. The most important thing about you is your relationship with God. The greatest thing you can do for yourself is to find a friend with whom you can share the common ground of scripture. You may not share a lot of activities together, you may be miles apart in your age, but oh the richness of a friend that you can spiritually bond with is priceless. This friendship is the most valuable of all.
Excellent