Who Needs Friends?

“Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not;
neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity:
for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off"
(Prov 27:10).

Some times people don’t want to be “bothered” with other people. “People annoy me,” they claim. They may move out into the woods and live in a cabin so they can avoid human contact. They may just be very sullen and rude so that others don’t want to have anything to do with them.
However, while they may not be “bothered” with the annoyances or problems of others, they have no one to help them when they have problems. They have no one to whom they can turn. They don’t have anybody to give them advice, help them out of a jam, or even someone to whom they can pour out their troubles. They are left all alone—ironically so, because that is just the way they wanted it.
This proverb addresses a person who is tempted to selfishly exclude others from his life. He may be looking around and saying, “These people who are called my friends take up too much of my time!” He may be upset because they end up costing him money. Whatever the reason, he is thinking about just getting rid of friends and “going it alone.”
The writer of the proverb warns him not to do that, because friendship is a give and take relationship. Yes, having a friend demands time, effort, sometimes even money, but the payoff is great. Just as you are there for your friends when times are hard, so they will be there for you. The next time you think that helping your friends is a bother, just remember: what goes around comes around. Be a good friend to others, and enjoy the benefits of friendship when you are on the receiving end.