True Friendships Are Founded Only in God
True friendships are founded only in God, where unity, perfection, and true friendship are found.
Francois Fenelon emphasizes the importance of true friendships being founded in God, highlighting the need to be content with God's will over our own desires, and to fully surrender to His plans without reservation. He stresses the unity and closeness that comes from being united in God, where true friends are found. Fenelon encourages seeking companionship and solace in God, who is the ultimate source of eternal friendship and fulfillment, surpassing any imperfections found in human relationships.
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LETTER XVIII.
True friendships are founded only in God.
We must be content with what God gives, without having any choice of our own. It is right that his will should be done, not ours; and that his should become ours without the least reservation, in order that it may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. This is a hundred times more valuable an attainment than to be engaged in the view or consolation of self.
O how near are we to each other when we are all united in God! How well do we converse when we have but a single will and a single thought in Him who is all things in us! Would you find your true friends, then? Seek them only in Him who is the single source of true and eternal friendship. Would you speak with or hear from them? Sink in silence into the bosom of Him who is the word, the life, and the soul of all those who speak and live the truth. You will find in Him not only every want supplied, but everything perfect, which you find so imperfect in the creatures in whom you confide.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of God's Will
- Unity in God
- Seeking True Friends in God
- God as the source of true friendship
- Finding perfect friendship in God
Key Quotes
“O how near are we to each other when we are all united in God!” — Francois Fenelon
“You will find in Him not only every want supplied, but everything perfect, which you find so imperfect in the creatures in whom you confide.” — Francois Fenelon
Application Points
- Seek to be content with God's will and submit to it in your life.
- Cultivate unity with others by being united in God.
- Find perfect friendship in God, where every want is supplied and everything is perfect.