The Perfect Friend

Posted on 2022-08-06 by Mirjam Fels

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected;
but I press on,
that I may lay hold of that
for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;
but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and
reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

I press toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

LORD Jesus we praise You for this wonderful new day, for the family that You have given us, for the friends that You have brought into our life, but, most of all, for the Love You are having toward us. Forgive us, O God we pray, whenever discontentment arises within us; whenever we are looking back to the former things instead of reaching forward to the things ahead. Enable us, O God we plead, to press toward the heavenly goal and to trust that Your Plan and Purpose has always been, still is, and forever will be perfect and good. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.

Let’s face it: There is no such thing as a “perfect friend” on earth.

As Paul admitted, we will also have to admit, that we have not already attained or already reached perfection. This verse reminds me of someone who likes to say that, “Perfection only exists in Heaven.” In other words, as long as we are living on this earth, neither our friends, nor we ourselves, are perfect. But, as the next line above states: We press on, that we may lay a hold of that (perfection).

The Lesson to Learn From Verse 13

As women we are tempted to keep book of not only the good things in life but also of the things gone wrong. Oh, yes, we will remember, the place, the day, and the hour, when that specific incident happened! Forgiving a misbehavior against us, an unkind word or two, an improper reaction toward us or our loved ones… How could we (ever) forget, forgive what s/he has done to us?

It is so easy, isn’t it, to see just how many “faults” of our friends God could add to their account? How many times they have sinned against Him? Could He really forgive them?

Oh precious one, do you know just how many sins the LORD could add to your own account? How often have you sinned against Him? Could He truly forgive you?

Hebrews 8:12 says

FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND THEIR SINS
AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.

If a sister in Christ sins against you, you will need to rebuke her in love, and if she repents, you will need to forgive her (Luke 17:3) Then, move on in your friendship (no longer holding this mistake against her).

What if she wrongs you and does not repent of it nor does she ask you of your forgiveness? True, that is a tough one, however, to avoid growing a bitter root within yourself, you will have to forgive and forget. How? Prayer! That is the one and only way you can forgive someone who has hurt you in a very bad way. Healing will come, beloved!

Take your hurt, your disappointment, your worries—everything—to the perfect Friend called Christ Jesus the LORD today.

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Peer Pressure

Posted on 2022-08-03 by Mirjam Fels

You have given a banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

Psalm 60:4

LORD Jesus we praise You for You are above all things. You are watching over Your children and You know whenever they are being bullied or put under pressure by the world. Forgive us, O God we pray, whenever we are trying to solve problems the way the unbelieving world does. Help us to see Your Counsel, the Truth, first, and guide us on how to take a firm stand against the ungodliness of this world. Most of all, dear LORD, enable us to hold up the banner that You have given to us and to stand up for what it represents. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.

Remember the question raised at the end of Monday’s blog?

Is your friend able to change the way you act and think?

I’ll get back to this question in a minute. Please bear with me.

The two most asked questions that homeschool families usually face are:

– How can you teach your children if you are not a teacher?
– What about socialization?

I’ll talk more about the teacher’s certificate in another blog. Today, let’s concentrate on the question of having our children socialized.

You see, socialization is often misunderstood and therefore misinterpreted. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as:

The process
beginning during childhood
by which individuals acquire
the values,
habits,
and attitudes
of a society.

(emphasis mine)

Our question should be:
What kind of
values,
habits,
and attitudes
will (this) society be teaching our children?

Do Christian homeschool families want their children to socialize? Of course they do! However, they are having a lot more influence on the kind of values, habits, and attitudes they want their children to be exposed to (under influence of) or not. Also, as homeschoolers we can choose for our child/ren to socialize without the negative affect of others putting them under pressure when there is absolutely no pressure needed or wanted.

I’ll write more on socialization of our children in another blog. So let’s get back to the question/s from Monday’s blog:

Does your friend support your faith?

Oh, precious one, this is way more important than you think. If she does not, then you will have to be even more on your guard! False doctrine can sneak in so easily, beloved; and, worldly-oriented thinking can do a lot of damage (to you, your marriage, and your family) as well.

Is your friend able to change the way you act and think?

Let me ask this another way: If you were to step aside to hear yourself talk or see yourself act and react, would you like what you hear and see? How are you talking and acting while she is around you?

Stand firm for the Truth and do not waiver today.

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Good vs Bad Friends

Posted on 2022-08-01 by Mirjam Fels

Brethren,
if a man is overtaken in any trespass,
you who are spiritual
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness,
considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Galatians 6:1

LORD Jesus we praise You for You are the One who created us, brought us forth out of the womb, died for us to save us, and the One in whose Hands our life is. Forgive us, O God we pray, whenever we are placing more value than we should on the counsel of our family members and friends. Let us, instead, look up to You, the One called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Hallelujah! In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.

Influenced for the Good or for the Bad? — Is going to be our topic for this week. Today’s post will start off by talking about good vs bad friends. Wednesday’s blog will scratch the surface of peer pressure, and Friday’s blog post will end the week with a positive note on the perfect Friend. So, please bear with me. Thank you!

Contrary to a good friend, a bad friend will not want what is best for you but what is to her own advantage. She will not counsel you first and foremost according to what God says in His Word. Instead, she will focus more on what she thinks is right, no matter if this will go along with what the Bible says or not.

During my online research of what a “bad friend” is, many website pages would describe her something similar to that:

A person who always stresses you out
either by saying things that are not nice,
and/or by acting in an unfriendly kind of way.

We need to be aware not to put a friend who means well in the category of the “bad friend”—just because she:
says something we do not like to hear, or
tries to prevent us from doing something.

Never rush into judging your friend, but ask yourself if this could be a wakeup call. Is there something you are struggling or wrestling with at the moment? Perhaps you ignored some warning signs? Is this friend trying to restore you in a more or less gentle way? (Galatians 6:1)

Contrary to this good friend, who says words you might not want to hear, or who acts in a way that you might not like (at the moment), there is the kind of friend who sugarcoats bad behavior. She plays with words and acts a certain way to convince you to “go along” with her plans. Beware of her, precious Sister in Christ!

Remember, a bad friend will intentionally hide from you or prevent you from finding out what God’s Word has to say about this or that issue. She will influence and pressure you, give her best to change your behavior, your belief in God, your treasured values.

Does your friend support your faith
is she able to change the way you act and think today?

(Good or Bad?)

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