Who are You a Companion To?

Who are You a Companion To?

I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.  Psalms 119:63

Have you ever met a person who said they “had no friends?”  Have you ever felt lonely thinking that others do not care about you?  Sometimes we can become depressed and discouraged when we approach relationship with the “They” and “I” perspective.  It may really be that instead of others being interested in you, you have not been interested in others.

As my family and I were reading this verse today, I was prompted to write down the following thoughts that may be a help to you and your relationships today.

Instead of asking “who are my friends” I should ask “Who am I friends with?”  One is egocentric, the other is others centric.  Self-centeredness has captivated many relationships throughout history.  You are in good company if you have thought this way, but you can change for the better today!

Be Proactive Relationally.  As the Psalmist pens Psalm 119, he gives great insight to the “direction” our relationships should focus.  Instead of saying “They are my companions” he said “I am their companion.”  This makes a world of difference!  He was looking for being friends with people who loved the Lord.  He was not letting the relationships come looking for him, he was proactive.

I have known people that say “No-one is my friend at church.”  A casual observation in nearly every case this is stated is that the person saying it is not proactive in his relationships.  If one sits in a corner and expects people to find him, his relational appearance portrays that he is not interested in relationships.  If the same man would walk around to people, actively greet old and new friends, then he would develop closer ties to people.  Proverbs 18:24 is still true: “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.”

Be Persistent Relationally.  The Psalmist is reaching out to people who fear God.  He wanted to be around people who loved the One True God.  What a blessing we have to be active in local Bible believing churches!  We can have friends who love the Lord too.  A man may say that he is lonely, but if he comes to the service 5 minutes late and leaves the service 5 minutes early, he is not giving friendships a chance to develop.  Relationships must be persistently pursued by spending time with others.

I have known individuals and families that come late and leave early and wonder why they have no connections with people in the church.  It is because they are unavailable to others.  Friendships should not be based solely on vocation, education, affluence, or personalities.  Friendships are based on love, value, and time shared.  The Psalmist was available. He put himself in a position to spend time with others that feared the Lord.

Encarta says the word “companion” means “somebody who shares time with another.”  Who are you a companion to today?  Don’t let others look for friendship with you – you look for friendships with them.  See if this does not help your emotions, demeanor, perspective and service to the Lord.  I believe it will help.  Don’t ask; “Who Are my friends?” instead ask; “Who am I a companion to? Who am I a friend to?”