The Garden of Friendship - Unto edification

Time to spruce up those gardens again! One of the things that is very important in a Christian friendship is that each individual is committed to edifying the other! The American Heritage Dictionary defines edify: To instruct especially so as to encourage intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement.

It is wonderful to enjoy your friends, to have long conversations and to do fun things together, but our friendships as women of God should have a deeper purpose ...

...to build up and encourage in the things of the Lord.

Here are some Scriptures on that very subject. I'm using the NKJV here:

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Eph 4:29

"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Romans 14:19

"... Let all things be done for edification." I Cor 14:26

Of course, our favorite verse fits in here so well. Philippians 4:8 "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things."

I think that if we are with our friends, and we are careful to speak of and focus on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, that we will speak unto edification -- will we not? If we are consistently meditating on these things, we will surely speak of them.

Just a reminder for all of us - yes, me too - to think about.

Tidbits From my Journal

I found these quotes nestled in the pages of one of my journals. The date was February 27, 1999. I was nineteen at the time, and in the"middle of a very stressful week..." when these quotes spoke to my heart, so I thought you might benefit from them too.

"It is Saturday. I had to write down a quote from A Woman that Feareth the Lord by Emalyn Spencer. 'J.C. Ryle says that true holiness is a great reality. It is something in a man that can be seen, and known, and marked, and felt by all around him. It is light, if it exists, it will show itself. It is salt, if it exists, its savour will be perceived. It is precious ointment, if it exists, its presence cannot be hid.'"

"A godly woman knows how to listen lovingly, patiently, and attentively, and her responses will be thoughtful and concerned, demonstrating genuine interest."

"The law of kindness cannot be present in the tongue, unless the law of love exists in the heart."

Soon!

Girls,

I'll be back soon with a post, I promise! Just wanted you guys to know I am thinking of you!