Only joking

FRED LORDZ was first across the finish line in the Marathon of the 1904 St Louis Olympics, but he didn't get the gold medal.

He had clocked a good few miles sitting comfortably in a car while the rest ran! When the cheat was discovered, he said, "It was just a joke."

The Bible warns us not to deceive people, not even as a joke. That word is often used to hurt and disappoint people who trust us.

God asks us to be transparent, never deceptive. No-one should be able to say that we have caused trouble by deception.

Few things are more important to personal relationships than loyalty.

If God asks us to be faithful in all our relationships, how much more with our personal friends!

It's true that a good friend knows how to laugh and rejoice with you, but friendship is a very serious business. We have to cultivate it so that it can grow to be strong, vital and lasting.

I have many good examples of loyal friends. Some have helped me in hard times and I know they are always there when I need them.

A true friend is one of the most important things in life.

Whenever I speak of friendship, I think of Xoan Carlos Caride, a lifelong friend and an example of loyalty and helpfulness.

One of the most important aspects of friendship is transparency. Never deceive a friend. Above all, God wants us to be transparent with him.

The loyal man has learned to know God, because one of God's most important characteristics is faithfulness.

God never deceives anyone! No friend is as important as he is. No-one can understand you as well as God does.

He sends us friends to come alongside us. Please, never deceive a friend, not even as a joke.