O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God. Do not let me be disgraced or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced—disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Psalm 25:1-3
What character qualities do you value in others? Do you want friends who are kind, loyal, and accept you for who you are? Do you want friends who are honest with you? Do you long for genuine friendship?
If your answer to the above is yes, doesn't it make sense that others are looking for these things too? Can they find them in you, or will they need to look elsewhere for acceptance, honesty, and kindness? Jesus said to treat others the way you want to be treated, and this can be applied in many ways, but it's a key element in friendship. Others need to know you value them and can be trusted, just as you need to know these things about those you hang out with and confide in.
But how do you become this kind of friend? How do you let others see you enough to know you are someone worth their time? Let's face it, friendship is risky. Friends can become enemies. People you are nice to might not be nice back. "Friends" might blab your secrets or talk badly behind your back. Jesus said to treat others the way you want to be treated, but He didn't guarantee others will always treat you well. It can be difficult to open yourself up when rejection is a strong possibility.
In Psalm 25, David takes a unique approach to avoiding disgrace and finding rescue from those who treated him poorly. The word disgrace means "a loss in reputation or respect", and while you may not do anything to deserve this from others, they can make you feel stupid, ugly, out of fashion, boring, different, and not worth their time. They can call you names or spread rumors about you. David experienced this, and He cried out, "O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God…No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced."
People cannot always be trusted. Even a close friend can become a foe. But God? You can trust Him. If you give Him your life, He will be faithful to help and guide you and give you whatever you need. Just one word of caution: You need to be yourself. David had learned: disgrace comes to those who deceive others. If you're trying to be someone you're not, then you're not fully trusting God. You're trusting in yourself, or who you're pretending to be.
But it doesn't work. You can't say you trust God and then make your own arrangements. You must trust God and be yourself. No masks or disguises. No trying to please people with what you do or how you look. No acting like you're perfect when you have flaws like everyone else. No hiding your emotions or values or problems.
Be real with others, trust God with your heart, and ask Him for what you need. This is the pathway to being a great friend. Is it risky? Is it challenging? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Definition for "disgrace" taken from www.google.com
Photo © 2015.
What character qualities do you value in others? Do you want friends who are kind, loyal, and accept you for who you are? Do you want friends who are honest with you? Do you long for genuine friendship?
If your answer to the above is yes, doesn't it make sense that others are looking for these things too? Can they find them in you, or will they need to look elsewhere for acceptance, honesty, and kindness? Jesus said to treat others the way you want to be treated, and this can be applied in many ways, but it's a key element in friendship. Others need to know you value them and can be trusted, just as you need to know these things about those you hang out with and confide in.In Psalm 25, David takes a unique approach to avoiding disgrace and finding rescue from those who treated him poorly. The word disgrace means "a loss in reputation or respect", and while you may not do anything to deserve this from others, they can make you feel stupid, ugly, out of fashion, boring, different, and not worth their time. They can call you names or spread rumors about you. David experienced this, and He cried out, "O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God…No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced."
People cannot always be trusted. Even a close friend can become a foe. But God? You can trust Him. If you give Him your life, He will be faithful to help and guide you and give you whatever you need. Just one word of caution: You need to be yourself. David had learned: disgrace comes to those who deceive others. If you're trying to be someone you're not, then you're not fully trusting God. You're trusting in yourself, or who you're pretending to be.
But it doesn't work. You can't say you trust God and then make your own arrangements. You must trust God and be yourself. No masks or disguises. No trying to please people with what you do or how you look. No acting like you're perfect when you have flaws like everyone else. No hiding your emotions or values or problems.
Be real with others, trust God with your heart, and ask Him for what you need. This is the pathway to being a great friend. Is it risky? Is it challenging? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Definition for "disgrace" taken from www.google.com
Photo © 2015.
