Day 2: What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?
Welcome to Day 2 of our cohort! Today, we’re going to take a look at what the Bible says about friendship and how it differs from some of the messages we receive from our culture.
Summary:
The Bible offers powerful insights on friendship, with verses like Proverbs 17:17 and John 15:13 showing us that true friendship is rooted in love, sacrifice, and mutual support. As we look to Jesus as our ultimate example, we’ll explore how we can deepen our friendships by embracing these biblical principles and living out His grace, vulnerability, and selfless love.
Reflection Questions:
How can you apply the qualities of love, sacrifice, and support from the biblical model of friendship to your own relationships? Are there any specific actions you can take to reflect these qualities more fully in your friendships?
Reflecting on John 15:13, how does Jesus’ example of laying down His life for His friends challenge your understanding of what true friendship involves? In what ways might you need to adjust your approach to friendship to reflect this sacrificial love?
Proverbs 17:17 talks about being there for friends in times of adversity. How can you strengthen your friendships to be more supportive during difficult times, and how can you allow others to support you when you are facing challenges?
Transcript
Hi, I'm Charles
and I'm one of the pastors here at Willow.
Hola, soy Charles
y soy uno de los pastores aquí en Willow.
Welcome to Day 2 of our cohort.
Bienvenidos al segundo día de nuestra cohorte.
Today we're going to take a look
at what the Bible says about friendship
Hoy vamos a echar un vistazo
a lo que la Biblia dice acerca de la amistad
and how it differs from some of the
messages we receive from our culture.
y cómo difiere de algunos de los
mensajes que recibimos de nuestra cultura.
Let's start
by looking at some powerful verses
Empecemos
mirando algunos versículos poderosos
that highlights
God's design for friendship.
que destaca
el diseño de Dios para la amistad.
Proverbs 17:17 says, A friend loves at all
times,
Proverbios 17:17 dice, Un amigo ama en todo
tiempo,
and a brother is born
for a time of adversity.
y un hermano nace
para un tiempo de adversidad.
This verse reminds us that while true
friendship enjoys good times
Este versículo nos recuerda que si bien la verdadera amistad
disfruta de los buenos momentos
together, it's also about being there
for one another in moments of hardship
juntos, también se trata de estar ahí
el uno para el otro en momentos de dificultad
and struggle.
y de lucha.
A true friend loves when it's easy
and is present even when it's hard.
Un verdadero amigo ama cuando es fácil
y está presente incluso cuando es difícil.
Now there are times
when that simply isn't healthy.
Ahora bien, hay veces
en que eso simplemente no es sano.
We'll get to that later in the cohort,
but for now, let's look at the next verse.
Llegaremos a eso más adelante en la cohorte,
pero por ahora, veamos el siguiente versículo.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
tells us that
Eclesiastés 4:9–10
nos dice que
two are better than one because they have
a good return for their labor.
dos son mejor que uno porque tienen
un buen rendimiento de su trabajo.
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up,
Si alguno de ellos se cae,
uno puede ayudar al otro a levantarse,
but pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
pero compadézcanse de quien cae
y no tiene quien le ayude
Friendship, according to this passage,
is clearly better than isolation
Amistad, según este pasaje,
es claramente mejor que el aislamiento
because of the partnership
and mutual support we gain by going
por la asociaci ón
y el apoyo mutuo que obtenemos al ir
through life in relationships with others.
por la vida en relación con los demás.
We're not meant to go through life alone.
No estamos hechos para ir solos por la vida.
God created us for relationships
Dios nos creó para las relaciones.
and our friends helped
lift us up when we fall.
y nuestros amigos nos ayudaron a
levantarnos cuando caemos.
John 15:13
Juan 15:13
is a powerful reminder from Jesus Himself.
es un poderoso recordatorio del propio Jesús.
Greater love has no one than this
Nadie tiene mayor amor que este
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
dar la vida por los amigos.
Jesus is the ultimate model of friendship.
Jesús es el máximo modelo de amistad.
In trying to work hard in helping us out,
En esforzarse por ayudarnos,
his sacrificial love shows us that true
friendship involves putting the needs
su amor sacrificado nos muestra que la verdadera amistad
implica poner las necesidades
of our friends before our own,
even to the point of personal sacrifice.
de nuestros amigos antes que las nuestras,
incluso hasta el sacrificio personal.
When we think of the perfect friend
Cuando pensamos en el amigo perfecto
we need, look no further than Jesus.
que necesitamos, no busquemos más allá de Jesús.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus showed
what friendship should look like.
A lo largo de su ministerio, Jesús mostró a
cómo debe ser la amistad.
He was kind, patient, and full of love.
Era amable, paciente y lleno de amor.
Jesus walked alongside his disciples,
teaching them,
Jesús caminó junto a sus discípulos,
enseñándoles,
encouraging them,
and even rebuking them when necessary.
animándoles,
e incluso reprendiéndoles cuando era necesario.
His friendship
was both compassionate and truthful.
Su amistad
era compasiva y veraz.
In John 17 verses 22-23,
En Juan 17 versículos 22-23,
we see Jesus praying
not only for his disciples,
vemos a Jesús orando
no sólo por sus discípulos,
but for all future believers,
including us.
sino por todos los futuros creyentes,
incluyéndonos a nosotros.
His prayer is that we would be one,
just as he is one with the Father.
Su oración es que seamos uno,
igual que él es uno con el Padre.
This unity isn't just relational.
Esta unidad no es sólo relacional.
It's deeply spiritual,
rooted in the very heart of God.
Es profundamente espiritual,
arraigada en el corazón mismo de Dios.
Jesus desires that our oneness would be
a witness to the world, showing that
Jesús desea que nuestra unidad sea
un testimonio para el mundo, mostrando que
he was sent by God and that we are loved
by the father just as he is.
fue enviado por Dios y que somos amados
por el padre igual que él.
This reveals his deep
longing for his people
Esto revela su profundo anhelo
por su pueblo
to live in love, unity, and shared purpose
para vivir en amor, unidad y propósito compartido
in the Bible.
en la Biblia.
Love is not just a feeling.
El amor no es sólo un sentimiento.
It's a choice in action.
Es una elección en acción.
1 Corinthians 13 verses
four through seven describes
Primera de Corintios 13 versículos
cuatro a siete describe
love is patient and kind and enduring.
amor es paciente y amable y perdurable.
In the same way, friendships
should be rooted in these qualities.
Del mismo modo, las amistades
deben estar arraigadas en estas cualidades.
Sometimes sacrificing your own comfort
for the sake of another,
A veces sacrificar la propia comodidad
por el bien del otro,
whether it's showing up during a crisis,
ya sea apareciendo durante una crisis,
offering a listening ear,
or giving advice and love.
ofreciendo un oído atento,
o dando consejo y amor.
These acts of support
are foundational to solid friendships.
Estos actos de apoyo
son fundamentales para las amistades sólidas.
But how often are you taught that
Pero, ¿con qué frecuencia te enseñan que
friendship also involves
being honest and vulnerable?
amistad también implica
ser honesto y vulnerable?
Jesus wasn't
afraid to be real with his friends.
Jesús no
temía ser sincero con sus amigos.
He shared his heart.
Compartió su corazón.
He expressed his struggles.
Expresó sus luchas.
He called his disciples to do the same.
Llamó a sus discípulos a hacer lo mismo.
It's in this space of vulnerability,
that deep,
Es en este espacio de vulnerabilidad,
así de profundo,
transformative friendship are forged.
se forjan amistades transformadoras.
Now, I want to give you some time
to reflect on what you've just heard.
Ahora, quiero darles un poco de tiempo
para reflexionar sobre lo que acaban de escuchar.
Take a moment to journal
about what a friendship looks like to you,
Tómate un momento para escribir en tu diario
cómo es para ti una amistad,
and maybe what felt new or challenging
when you looked at the Bible's
y tal vez qué te pareció nuevo o desafiante
cuando miraste las
definition of friendship.
definición de amistad.
Consider these qualities.
Considera estas cualidades.
We've talked
about sacrifice, love, support,
Hemos hablado en
de sacrificio, amor, apoyo,
and think about how these traits
are evident in your own relationships.
y piensa en cómo estos rasgos
son evidentes en tus propias relaciones.
Are there areas
where God might be calling you to grow
¿Son áreas
donde Dios podría estar llamándote a crecer
or to deepen your friendships?
o a profundizar en tus amistades?