«He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him» (Proverbs 27:14).
FRIENDSHIP
Rubén Dario (1867-1916), the renowned Nicaraguan poet, says that, in 1903, during one of his trips through Eastern Europe, he arrived in Budapest (Hungary) along with Felipe López. Suddenly, a man who spoke to them in French approached them and kindly assured them that, thanks to the good treatment he had received in France, he had decided to treat every foreigner who arrived in Hungary in a good way. So he gave them a small tour of the city and assured them he wanted to be their friend. A few minutes later, a gentleman mysteriously appeared who said he was a prosperous businessman and invited them to try some of the local dishes and served them a strange drink. Lopez sipped it, but Dario didn’t want to drink. A short time later, López commented that the drink had a narcotic in it. Then they told them it was time to play «clock,» a popular card game. As if by magic, a deck of playing cards appeared. At first, Lopez and Dario began winning quite a bit of money. But then they lost everything they had won and much more. By then, the situation got very tense, so Rubén Dario mentioned it was time to leave. Their hosts were very upset and started to threaten them. But Darío explained they had to go get more money at their hotel and would return the next day. The men calmed down and allowed them to leave. When they reached the hotel, the owner told them, «You’re lucky to have gotten away from them. Those crooks must belong to a band that has robbed and kidnapped several foreigners, whose stabbed bodies were found in the waters of the Danube.»
There are people who befriend us for the benefits they might obtain. All their kindness toward us is for their own well-being. They might be looking for a bit of acceptance, popularity or even money (if that be the case). They’re also demanding and abusive toward those they supposedly consider their «friends,» forcing them to participate in activities they find uncomfortable. And of course, when we’re no longer useful to them, they get rid of us and ignore us.
True friends edify your life and don’t approach you out of pure self-interest. Neither do they lead you to risky situations that could place your life in danger. Ask the Lord today to help you have genuine and edifying friends.
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Youth 2020
«A New You»
From: Alejandro Medina Villareal
Collaborators: Gezer Noria & Misael Morillo
