Making Friends or Marketing Them?

Making Friends or Marketing Them?

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:3

Recommended Reading
John 15:12-17

A recent bestseller advocates that we view our friends as "resources." According to the author, our friends are primarily marketing tools with which we can advance our careers and improve our lives. We should expend emotions toward them and give gifts to them in order to become more indispensible to them. We must learn to network for all its worth. This is especially true on our jobs, where, according to this philosophy, we should consider our friendships as utilitarian tools, not selfless relationships.

That's nothing new. Machiavelli said the same thing 500 years ago.

But Jesus said something different 2000 years ago, and Solomon said something different 3000 years ago. The Book of Proverbs tells us that a friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17). Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).

In an age in which people are making and marketing friends for their own benefit, let's be people who make and love friends for their welfare. Who can you befriend today?

When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.
C.S. Lewis