This Proverb says, “Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.” My wife once said to me, we cannot choose our family. However, we can choose our friends. We choose friends because our friends are people with whom we are most compatible. Friends are also people who truly care about us. They have our best interest at heart.
Additionally, friends are generally like-minded with us. Their worldview is compatible with our worldview. We believe in God. Therefore we choose friends who also believe in God. That is not true of all family members.
Family members may not be like minded. Their worldview may be different from ours. In fact, some of our family members may not believe in God. So, their advice is not good for us.
Therefore, when we have trouble and challenges in our life, it may be better to turn to a friend rather than to a sibling for help. A friend will be ready, willing, and able to help us. They will probably know us better than our siblings know us. Therefore, their assistance will be more suited for our situation.
Family is important. However, true friends are also very valuable. We all need help from time to time. It may well be better to turn to a friend in such situations.
