Western
novelist Stephen Bly says that in the days of America’s Old West there were two
types of friends (and horses): runners and standers. At the first sign of
trouble, the runner would bolt—abandoning you to whatever peril you were
facing. But a stander would stick with you no matter the circumstances.
Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know which kind of friend you had until trouble
came. And then it was too late—unless your friend was a stander.
Rather
than being concerned with what kind of friends we have, however, we ought to
consider what kind of friends we are. In the final days of Paul’s ministry, as
he awaited death, some who had ministered with him turned into runners and
abandoned him to face execution alone. In his last letter, he listed some (like
Demas) who had run off, then simply stated, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Tim.
4:11). Luke was a stander. While undoubtedly disappointed by those who had
deserted him, Paul must have been deeply comforted to know he was not alone.
Proverbs tells us that “a friend loves at all times” (17:17). During times of adversity, we need friends we can rely on. When the people we know face trouble, what kind of friend will we be—a runner or a stander?
