Source: Various/Provided by Artist Management / Radio One Raleigh Promotions
FRIENDSHIP
Scripture: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” -Proverbs 17:17 NIV
Devotional: Tam and I met when we were both nineteen years old. We didn’t know much about life when we met one another, but before we decided to date, we were ride-or-die friends. During those friendship years, we got a chance to teach each other. There was no pressure to pretend or act like something we weren’t, because, as friends, we just wanted to do life together—no strings attached. Your friendship should be the thing your relationship is built on so that you have something solid to fall back on. Because one day your spouse will not just need their husband or wife . . . they will need their friend.
As Christians, we build our marriage on our faith—our Lord and Savior— first and foremost. But directly after that, it’s all about our friendship. Marriage has shown us that there is, indeed, a friend that sticks closer than a brother. We see each other overwhelmed and afraid, and we still choose to love each other.
Tam has stood in my corner on my worst days, and she still loves me. If we are eating a meal from the dollar menu of a fast-food restaurant or in the banquet hall of the White House, my friend is there with me. If we are walking the streets of a new country or feeding the poor, my friend is there with me. When Tam buried her mom and sang at her loved ones’ funerals, her friend was there. I love the whole person that I see when I see Tamela Mann. And she loves the whole person that she sees when she sees me. If she hurts my feelings or if I disappoint her, we have learned how to get through it together because a friend who loves is a friend who forgives.
WILL YOU PRAY WITH US?
Father, help us to see each other the way you see us. You forgave us while we were at our worst. Give us the grace to forgive each other until we reach our best. We can’t do this without you. We love you and we love each other. Show us the big picture. Reveal the root to every issue. Thank you for our friendship. Thank you for my spouse, who reminds me that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. When we feel overwhelmed, remind us of our never-ending bond and love for each other. Help us to remember the memories that brought us together and not the mistakes that tore us apart. In Jesus’ name, amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you love the most about your friend (spouse)? What do you admire the most about your friend?
2. Recall a memory that constantly reminds you of the beauty of your friendship with your spouse.
3. What can you do to revive the friendship in your marriage? Develop a plan and work on it together.
