Friendship, an age-old bond that transcends time and circumstance, holds a profound significance in the tapestry of our lives. It is a relationship that enriches our existence, offering solace in times of adversity and joy in moments of celebration. As we continue to delve into the depths of this cherished connection, today I would like to uncover a layer of understanding that illuminates the very essence of what it means to be a friend and to have a friend.
One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves.” Elisha said, “I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.” “Here’s what you do,” said Elisha. “Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside.” She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, “Another jug, please.” He said, “That is it. There are no more jugs.” Then the oil stopped. She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, “Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 MSG
This story opened my eyes to so much, but most importantly, the reason why it is important for us to build healthy, strategic and functional friendships in a generation that is a bit selfish and self-centered because of the changes that we see happen in the human perspectives and the world’s view of life every day.
This woman had a genuine situation which could happen to anyone in life; my curiosity while reading this story though, was about how the man of God would help her come out of it! As it is in our generation, the expectation normally would be to believe God to deal away with the debt, or to do some supernatural thing that would cover the debt and create some miraculous thing to sustain her household; but we see the wisdom of God in the prophet as he pushes the woman to find a solution that will not just solve the situation at hand but a rather a long lasting one that will sustain her life and her children too.
This also speaks so much into the attitude that our people have towards work and being creative and innovative in their most active years. It is one thing to have exciting short fixes in life, and it is another to wake up to the realization that you are supposed to live a life of purpose and by that knowledge, avail yourself for every opportunity through which you can be inspired to become the best of you.
It is important for us, as the young generation to work, to establish businesses, to head corporate organizations, to be as innovative as ever can be, to see God glorified in our careers and businesses, spearheading the world of creativity because God has given unto us everything that pertains to life and godliness.
We actually see in our story, that the first thing the man of God asked the woman after wondering how he could help her, even though he had done a number of miracles, was ‘what do you have in your house?’ This could mean anything figuratively; a skill, talent, anything you can do that can be of value enough to earn you something.
The woman said, ‘just a little oil’ but see how that turned out to be a business idea that saved her whole household. Your breakthrough might be in and through the slightest ideas you have now, so go for it and let God be true. You have to trust Him to bring to pass the things He is currently making you feel after.
Back to our theme anyway, I realized that the solution the prophet gave the woman required that she reaches out to her friends (neighbors) to get jugs and bowls from them and not just a few but all she could get. Thoughtfully, for a neighbor to give you something of theirs, you must have built some sort of friendship with them over time. It is those friends that help us start when we do not have much; those that are willing to believe in our vision no matter how ambiguous they look at the start; the ones that will make the sacrifices they can for your journey to start. The question is “How much can you get?”
We actually see, that the oil stopped flowing when the bowls and jugs were finished; which means that her supply was limited by how many jugs and bowls she could get, and that too was dependent on how many neighbors she had, that were willing to give to her what she needed.
So, I ask the question; when you examine your life, how many people have you invested in and are willing to do things for your progress? how many neighbors can you confidently ask for “jugs” figuratively, to fulfil the purpose and vision of God on your life? Many-a-time, because most of us have not established these strategic relationships, we end up judging people harshly for not helping us in the times we needed help, yet ideally, we could have invested in these friendships earlier before the needs come. We all go through too much in life, and to simply expect people God has not compelled, to do certain things for you without your prior investment is simply selfish and unfair.
When you study the life of Jesus, you will realize that before he sent the disciples on the great commission, he first invested time in them, allowed them to learn form and observe Him and His ways; He invested in a relationship with them first, and by the time he ascended, they were willing to do anything for Him, or go anywhere for Him. Of a truth, He calls us to Himself first, to commune with, teach and relate with us, then he sends us to serve the purpose He ordained for us.
It does not matter how the norms and perspectives in the world change, some things will not change for a second; we were made for fellowship, and apart from each other, we can barely do much. We need each other like the bible defines the allegory of the human body.
My point of emphasis today is to remind us of the essence of friendship in all the affairs of life and why we need to ensure that every day, we make an investment in the people that we believe matter to us. If that woman had not invested in her neighbors/friends prior, I highly doubt that they would have given those jugs and bowls to her; yet this was about to change her life, her story, and her journey forever.
Do not miss the most precious milestones that could change your life just because you are too proud to invest in the people God has brought your way. It could be investing your time, your wisdom, your prayers, your support financially or emotionally, or whichever way God leads you. Remember, this woman was the wife of a man from the guild of prophets, but a time came and she needed help from her neighbors!
We can do better as a generation, we can lay a better foundation for our children as recently shared in our previous article; Link “The Bigger Picture“
Otherwise, may God help us to continually take seriously, build and invest in and pray for healthy and strategic relationships, that we may be able to fulfil the purpose of God for our lives as we should; that we shall not miss out on the opportunities that would fulfil our visions just because we did not have neighbors we could trust to give us the things necessary for God to do amazing things with the little or more we have.
Blessings for the new month and wisdom for the life of making and sustaining strategic friendships in life.
Glory To God.
#WiGTyT
