I'm your friend - as long as you bless me

Sadly there are people that will seek friendships or abandon friendships based selfish motives.  They want to draw closer to us in order to receive something from us (v. 4a, 6). But the poor, who may not be able to bless them, or may even need to receive from them, can be hated by their brothers and be abandoned by their friends (v. 4b, 7).

Proverbs 19:4-9

⁴ Wealth adds many friends, 

But a poor man is separated from his friend. 
⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished, 
And he who tells lies will not escape. 
⁶ Many will seek the favor of a generous man, 
And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. 
⁷ All the brothers of a poor man hate him; 
How much more do his friends abandon him! 
He pursues them with words, but they are gone. 
⁸ He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; 
He who keeps understanding will find good. 
⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished, 

And he who tells lies will perish. 

This lack of genuine love can be disheartening. One thing that can help us with this disappointment is to keep our focus on God’s love for us. God doesn’t love with and expectation of getting something in return. His love is so pure that He even gives blessing to ungrateful and evil people. 

Luke 6:35

³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)