1Tim4:12-14

But "living and keeping friendships" are not always easy. Or should I say, it's very very difficult if you don't learn to fully rely on God. One thing about friendship and friends that is the most difficult to do is dealing with envy and jealousy.

Many times we act like mere men. The apostle Paul reminded us of this on his first letter to the Corinthians: You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly ? Are you not acting like mere men ?

OK, you may ask what does this has to do with your friendship and friends ? Well, friends do suffer from envy and do struggle with jealousy. I am not only speaking specifically of my friend or of me tonight, although I know we've battled and still battle with this as well. I am speaking of many people and situations I've seen throughout the years inside and outside church. It's not just one case. There are many everywhere. Because of respect for my friends, I better not focus on details.

But these acquaintances, friends and situations worry me sometimes. Better make that always, not only sometimes. It worries me a lot. It worries me what would be of our local church a few years down the road.

Things I´ve seen have stopped me dead in my tracks. I've seen that years of studying the bible, time spent devouring the Word of God and graduating from seminary doesn't necessarily protect you or make you stronger against jealousy, envy, ill-will, spite, resentment, what have you. It's how much you truly surrender yourself to the Lord, confess your sins, forgive, forget and move on.

Let us remember always Philippians 3:13-14, the apostle Paul wrote: Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

May our Almighty God help us all, including me, with our daily struggles and learn to move on, to press on toward the goal heavenward.

Blessings : )