Week 3
Friend or Fr-enemy
Highlight Verse(s)
Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Family Interaction Questions:
Do you ever wonder if your friend is really an enemy?
Does it feel like certain people treat you one way and when around others act differently?
What are ways that you identify people who act like a friend but try to purposefully hurt you?
Has anyone close ever said something that hurt you but eventually you realized it made you better in some way?
What are some ways to recover a friendship after you stopped talking from being hurt and then realized they only said something to help you?
The truth hurts! It is often the people closest to us that notice the little things we need to change and perfect. They try to tell us that something is weird about us or that we are doing something wrong, and we immediately take offense. Nobody likes to hear that they are wrong or odd. If our friends don’t tell us what is not right; who will?
Self-reflection is an important part of growth and maturity. We need to take time on a regular basis to think about who we are as a person. Unfortunately it is usually the moments that we get hurt that we dwell on our faults and failures. Why? Because people are quick to tell us when we are wrong.
The important thing is to know how to recognize the difference between a friend and a fr-enemy. A fr-enemy is someone who acts like a friend to get close to you then tries to harm you on purpose and without remorse. A friend is someone who tells you the truth in love. It may hurt at times, but you know they want the best for you. The Bible is clear that they both exist. We need to pray for God to give us wisdom and discernment to know the difference.
Does it feel like certain people treat you one way and when around others act differently?
What are ways that you identify people who act like a friend but try to purposefully hurt you?
Has anyone close ever said something that hurt you but eventually you realized it made you better in some way?
What are some ways to recover a friendship after you stopped talking from being hurt and then realized they only said something to help you?
The truth hurts! It is often the people closest to us that notice the little things we need to change and perfect. They try to tell us that something is weird about us or that we are doing something wrong, and we immediately take offense. Nobody likes to hear that they are wrong or odd. If our friends don’t tell us what is not right; who will?
Self-reflection is an important part of growth and maturity. We need to take time on a regular basis to think about who we are as a person. Unfortunately it is usually the moments that we get hurt that we dwell on our faults and failures. Why? Because people are quick to tell us when we are wrong.
The important thing is to know how to recognize the difference between a friend and a fr-enemy. A fr-enemy is someone who acts like a friend to get close to you then tries to harm you on purpose and without remorse. A friend is someone who tells you the truth in love. It may hurt at times, but you know they want the best for you. The Bible is clear that they both exist. We need to pray for God to give us wisdom and discernment to know the difference.
In-Depth (for matured families)
Read John 13
Even Jesus had this dilemma. His friends didn’t understand Him when He spoke of the sacrifice that He was about to make. His dear friend Peter denied Him and swore off their friendship in moments of pressure, but Jesus recognized it as a mistake and still treasured his friendship. Friends are hard to come by. Good friends are priceless, and we need to remember to give them grace when they make mistakes just like Jesus did for us.
Action: Take time in prayer and ask God to lead you back to any friends who truly are friends that you have lost because of mistakes.
Fr-enemies are out for destruction. They are fair weather friends that turn on you for self-gain and jealous vengeance. Jesus knew that Judas would sell him out but allowed him to remain because He knew it was part of God’s plan for our redemption. We can’t always avoid our fr-enemies, but we can guard ourselves from becoming like them. It is important to hold our integrity of being Christ-like even to those who thrive on our destruction. Even in a room full of fr-enemies always maintain the goal of showing others what it is to be a friend.
Even Jesus had this dilemma. His friends didn’t understand Him when He spoke of the sacrifice that He was about to make. His dear friend Peter denied Him and swore off their friendship in moments of pressure, but Jesus recognized it as a mistake and still treasured his friendship. Friends are hard to come by. Good friends are priceless, and we need to remember to give them grace when they make mistakes just like Jesus did for us.
Action: Take time in prayer and ask God to lead you back to any friends who truly are friends that you have lost because of mistakes.
Fr-enemies are out for destruction. They are fair weather friends that turn on you for self-gain and jealous vengeance. Jesus knew that Judas would sell him out but allowed him to remain because He knew it was part of God’s plan for our redemption. We can’t always avoid our fr-enemies, but we can guard ourselves from becoming like them. It is important to hold our integrity of being Christ-like even to those who thrive on our destruction. Even in a room full of fr-enemies always maintain the goal of showing others what it is to be a friend.
Posted in Devoted Family
Tagged with friends, trust, enemies, frenemies, growth, maturity, friendship
Tagged with friends, trust, enemies, frenemies, growth, maturity, friendship
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