Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. Proverbs 25:17
Be considerate of your friends. The easiest way to kill a good friendship is to become demanding. Don’t be the kind of person who becomes friends with his neighbor, but then he overdoes it! He keeps coming around and he stays too long.
Eventually the neighbor has had enough of him. When the doorbell rings in the neighbor’s house, she says, “Oh, not again! He is always showing up on the doorstep, and it is just too much!”
Here’s some good news: You have no need to worry about wearing out your welcome with God. God will always welcome you. “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).
Be considerate not only of your friend’s time but also of his or her mood. “Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda” (Prov. 25:20). This is the person who is insensitive to the feelings of others. Someone has a heavy heart, and her so-called “friend” breezes into her house on a mission to cheer her up. She bursts through the door singing “Joy to the World” at the top of her voice.
Singing songs to a heavy heart is like taking off a garment on a cold day. It will have a chilling effect on the friendship. If you want to keep your friends, learn to be sensitive to their feelings. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15).
Is there a friend that you could weep with or rejoice with this weekend?
