Companions and Friends
1 Chronicles 27:33
"And Ahithophel was the king's counsellor: and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion:"
Two men are mentioned in this verse who both had the same job. The first man's name was Ahithophel. You will find that Ahithophel was the king's counselor, but was not his friend. In fact, you will find that he turned on David when Absalom rebelled against his father. Though he was a good counselor, his loyalty to David was suspect at best. However, there was another man in this verse whose name was Hushai. The Scriptures call Hushai the king's companion. He was a man who worked right alongside Ahithophel, but he was more than a counselor, he was a friend. In fact, 2 Samuel 15:37 shows Hushai was David's friend. This man was loyal to David to the point that he risked his own life for his friend. This was true loyalty and friendship. There are a couple of things about these men that I believe we can look at that will help us with our companions and friends.
First, whoever knows you best has the wherewithal to hurt you the most. Ahithophel knew David so well that when Absalom rebelled against his father he was able to give counsel to hurt the king. The Scriptures teach that Ahithophel's counsel was as if it came straight from the mouth of God. The reason is because he was so close to David that when he rebelled, he was able to expose his weaknesses. This is why you must be careful with whom you associate and with whom you decide to share your heart. Samson opened his heart to Delilah, and she destroyed him. Too often young people will open their heart to people who have no business knowing the intimacies of their heart. Parents need to teach their children that nobody outside of their family deserves the right to know the intimacies of their heart. Likewise, adults need to be careful to whom they open their heart. Just because they call themselves your friend does not mean you should tell them everything inside your heart. You must realize that to whomever you open your heart, they have the power to hurt you the most. Always be careful to whom you give your heart. Be stingy with opening your heart to just anyone who calls you their friend.
Second, let loyalty be the determining factor with whom you allow to be your close friend. Hushai was more than just a companion, he was a friend. He proved his friendship when David fled from Absalom. I believe at that point his companionship turned to friendship. You will have many companions in life, but you will have very few friends. Friends are discovered in tough times. Friends are discovered when others leave you and you find they are still standing with you. Friends are discovered when you are going thru the toughest time of your life, and only they are there for you to help you through that time. It is easy for people to want to be around you when everything is going well, but when you're facing the roughest time of your life and they are still with you, then they are your friend. When someone is willing to hurt their own name and being for the sake of standing with you, then they are your friend. These are the ones whom you should allow to be the closest to you. These are the ones to whom you can open your heart in times of need. No, they probably should not know the intimacies of your family, but they are the ones whom you can trust to help you through difficult times.
Always be careful about allowing companions to become your friend. Don't let people decide that they are your friend, but you choose who you want to be your friends. Just because they call you their friend does not mean that you must call them your friend. Friendship is a privilege that must be earned. Don't just give the title of friend to anyone, but only give that title to those who stand with you through thick and thin. Friendship is never discovered in a few months, but it is discovered over years of both good and bad times.