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Getting and Maintaining Friends — Week 3
By Mavis Arnett, Retired Minister’s wife and co-chair of the “Young at Heart” at Callaway Park Church of God, LaGrange, Georgia.
Scripture: “A man that has friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
 Definition of a friend: (1) A person whom one knows well and is fond of; intimate associate; close acquaintance. (2) A person on the same side in a struggle; one who is not an enemy or foe; an ally. (3) A supporter or sympathizer; helpful and reliable.
BREAK THE ICE WITH A FEW FUNNY THINGS
“Since retiring, I find it necessary to exercise. When that urge arises, I just lie down until the urge leaves.”
“It seems a retired city slicker, while traveling through the country, found a blacksmith working on a horseshoe. When the blacksmith had finished heating and working on the horseshoe, he cast it to the ground to let it cool. The retired city slicker, picked it up, and it being very hot, threw it down quickly. Asked the blacksmith, “Did it burn you?” “No, it just doesn’t take me long to look at a horseshoe.”
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ONE ANOTHER
First of all, we must find out who is our friend. How can we determine this unless we become acquainted with one another? Notice the scriptural reference, a person desiring or wanting a friend, must show himself friendly.
Second, we show our selves friendly by being helpful. Offer your service in the area you may assist others with their struggles. When dealing with the opposite sex, one must be careful to not be considered a flirt.
AREAS OF ASSISTANCE TO RECENT RETIREES:
- Without being too inquisitive of a person’s finances, offer information in those areas.
- When considering retirement, sit down and count the cost.
- My husband almost wore out a calculator trying to count the cost. If anybody ever figures the cost, “Please tell him; he needs to know.” It just does not look the same or calculate the same after retirement.
- For instance, he is finding it hard to calculate a “fixed income.”
- Find some friends. (The NIV translation of our text reads like this): Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”
- Notice the word “ruin,” which carries the meaning one must choose one’s friends.
- The choosing of friends may and should be many persons.
LAUGHTER WILL MAKE YOU HEALTHIER
Proverbs 17:22, “A merry (cheerful) heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” That fact has been verified by the medical profession. Psychologist David McClelland found that after a group of medical students watched a funny movie, the infection-fighting proteins in their bodies increased. William F. Fry, M.D., of Stanford University, who has studied laughter for thirty years, calls it “inner jogging.” He says a long, hearty laugh every day does your cardiovascular system as much good as ten minutes of rowing. Sounds good to me! Rowing machines at the gym are complicated and all that sweating will make our perm’s frizz. Laughing is more fun and it does not require $114 for shoes and a shower afterwards! Laughter seems to be God’s provision for releasing the natural pain-killers in your body that combat arthritis and slow down the release of stress-producing hormones. It may not be long before your doctor advises, “Forget the aspirin. Take two belly laughs and call me in the morning!”
Already nurses at Oregon Health Sciences University wear buttons proclaiming, “Warning: Humor may be hazardous to your illness.”
Since laughter is good for us and is also infectious to others, let’s enjoy the day of fellowship, laughter, singing and worship and have a healthy day being a friend.
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