Crab or Ant: What Kind of Friend Are You?

Did you know that crabs and ants actually behave in very different ways when they're in trouble? Let's talk about crabs first.

Many crabs, when trapped in a bucket, are known to pull each other down. This is not because they're mean and want to hurt each other. It happens because each crab is busy trying to escape by itself. It instinctively grabs whatever it can to pull itself up — including other crabs. Sadly, this also means they prevent one another from getting out.

Ants, on the other hand, are known to be highly social creatures. When two ants of the same species meet, they stop and greet each other, exchanging information by tapping antennae and bumping heads. In this way, ants help one another to find food or warn each other of danger. And when faced with a big challenge — like building bridges with their bodies or carrying big, heavy items — ants work together.

So here's a question: who do you think would make a better friend, a crab or an ant? The answer is easy — an ant. A friend should be someone who picks you up, not pulls you down.

Two Are Better Than One

Here is what Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote about the value of a friend:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

This tells us that friends are not just good to have — they are necessary. We need them.

The Paralyzed Man and His Four Friends

Now let's go to Mark chapter 2, where we meet a man whose life changed forever, all because of his friends.

This man was paralyzed. He could not move his body freely or do simple everyday things. All he could do was lie in bed and watch the days go by. This could have been the sad story of his entire life.

But one day, his whole town started to buzz with excitement. Jesus was in town. When the people heard that Jesus was in a house preaching, huge crowds gathered and pushed their way to where He was. Mark tells us the house was so packed that there was no room left — not even at the door. It seemed like everyone in town wanted to be there.

Imagine the paralyzed man lying on his bed, listening to all the movement outside his window, wondering what the excitement was all about.

Friends Who Wouldn't Give Up

Then his friends showed up — not one, but four of them. Since he couldn't go to Jesus by himself, his friends had come to help him get there.

But when they reached the house, they had a problem. There were so many people. How were they going to get their friend to Jesus?

If the four friends had given up at that point, no one would have blamed them. It wasn't their fault they couldn't even get near the door. They could have said, "Well, at least we tried." But thankfully, they did not give up. They were determined to help their friend get the healing that only Jesus could give.

So they thought and thought about the problem until one of them had an idea. "Let's get him down through the roof!" one of them said. "Yes!" the others agreed.

Up the stairs they went, carrying their friend all the way to the flat roof of the house. And there they got to work. They broke a large hole through the roof and carefully lowered their friend down on his mat.

These four men were really determined. They carried him there, brought him up to the roof, and dug a big hole through someone else's roof — putting in a lot of effort just to make sure their friend got to Jesus.

A Life Changed Forever

There, in that house, Jesus said to the man:

Get up, take your mat, and go home.

Immediately, the man got up, picked up his mat, and left. He was healed!

Being healed was amazing, but get this — the man got more than just his health that day. He got his whole life back, all because his good friends decided to lift him up and take him to Jesus.

What Makes a Good Friend?

So what is a good friend? A good friend is someone who:

• Saves a seat for you
• Gives you the last chip
• Prays for you — like praying for you when you're worried, so you feel at peace
• Speaks up for you when others are being mean
• Is someone you can talk to when you're upset
• Plays with you

It's good to have friends, and even better to have good friends. God wants us to have good friends.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

The Secret to Having Good Friends

Want to know the secret to having good friends? Start by being a good friend yourself.

1. Be happy for your friends when they succeed or when things go well for them.
2. Lift them up when they're down.
3. Encourage them and speak good over them.
4. Just like the four friends did, help them encounter Jesus and let Him change their lives for good.

As you do this, also ask God for favor — favor with the friends you already have and favor with the people you meet. Then keep your eyes open, ready to recognize the good friends that our good, good God will send your way.

If you want this for yourself, let me hear a big amen!

Receiving Jesus

If you are joining us today and you have not asked Jesus to come into your life to be your Lord and Savior, I want to give you a chance to do so now. Receiving Jesus is easy. All you need to do is pray this with me and mean it from your heart:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for me. I believe You are the Son of God who died, was buried, and rose again. Your precious blood washed away all my sins, making me forever right with Daddy God. I ask You now to come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I am forever righteous, forever blessed, forever a child of God. In Jesus' name, amen.