True friendship
requires certain accountability factors. Real friends encourage one another and
forgive one another where there has been an offense. Genuine friendship
supports during times of struggle. Friends are dependable. In true friendship,
unconditional love develops. We love our friends no
matter what and we always want the best for our friends.
True friendship stories
are found through out the bible. In Genesis 18:17 – 33, we read about God
sharing His intentions with Abraham. Abraham responds by telling God his though
and feelings about the situation. God and Abraham are able to do this because
they trust and respect each other.
First Samuel 20
focuses on the friendship of David and Jonathan. These two men truly cared for
each other and had great trust and confidence in each other. David was running
for his life from Jonathan’s father, Saul. Jonathan recognized that David was
innocent. Because of the true friendship they shared. David survived Saul’s
assassination attempts and went on to become one of Israel’s greatest kings.
Real friendship looks
at the heart, not just the “packaging.” Genuine friendship loves for love’s
sake, not just for what it can get in return. True friendship is both
challenging and exciting. It risks, it overlooks faults, and it loves
unconditionally, but it also involves being truthful, even though it may hurt.
Genuine friendship, also called “agape” love, comes from the lord. The lord
Jesus calls us Hid friends and he laid down His life for us (John 15)
Relationships in real
life involve different levels of friendships, and that’s okay. But humans are
designed by God for lasting relationships. Often our isolationist society
offers only vague, empty relationships. God wants us to have friends here on
earth. Most of all, He wants us to be friends with Him!
God’s word tell us
that a friend sticks closer than a brother, and that in order for one to be a
friend, one must show themselves friendly (Proverbs 18:24). The question is:
what type of friend do you desire to be?
Proverbs 18:19 in the
New Living Translation says: “It’s harder to make amends with an offended
friend than to capture a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate
locked with iron bars.” When we’ve offended a true friend – whether by breaking
a trust or by speaking the truth with love – we risk losing that friendship. We
must be careful not to break the trust. But when not speaking the truth will
cause greater hurt in our friend’s life, we must be willing to sacrifice our
needs for those of our friend. That is true friendship.
If we some times
offend a friend without meaning to, God’s word offers a solution. It’s called
forgiveness. There is no greater example that the love of God for us. It’s so
great that He gave his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, in order that our
friendship with God might be restored. He did that in spite of the fact that we
have offended Him deeply. We have disobeyed His commands, turned our backs on
Him, and followed our own path. So the question remains: what type of friend do
you want to be? True Christian friendship forgives.
Do you need a friend?
God wants to be your true friend. Are you longing for companionship? God is
always with you (Hebrews 13:5). Who do you know and who needs a true friend
today? God wants you to befriend others. He calls us to be His hands and feet
in a world starving for true friendship.
What are the qualities
for a good friend? True friendships can start instantly but they take time to
build. Here are a few qualities to look for when making friends.
A Godly friend is some
one that walks in the discovery their values and purpose in God.
Good friends are
honest.
A good friend may not
share every detail of every second of their life, but they do try to be clear
about their intentions. This means that they try to present an accurate picture
of who they are. When something doesn’t seem right, they let you know.
Good friends are fun,
unique and interesting to be with.
Ok, this is a given
and probably the reason you became friends in the first place. As for fun, it
depends how you define it: some friends are fun because they’re the life of the
party; others are fun because they notice every strange little detail about a
situation. Some people are fun simple because they see life like no one else
does.
Good friends are
attentive and adaptable in nature.
A good friend is al
least a fairly good listener and notices how little, day-to-day things affect
you. They can’t read your mind, but chances can usually tell when you’re happy,
sad, excited, shocked or upset. If they’re aware that they’re doing some thing
that annoys you, they try to change their ways or at least talk to you about
it.
Good friends are
supportive to you and your God’s given purpose.
Sure, your friend may
think you’re cool, but are they on the same page as you? Do they know what you
want most in life? A real good friend will know what makes you tick and help
you become the person you want to be. They won’t try to change who you are or
drag you into situation that make you uncomfortable or put you at risk of
losing something that matters to you and God.
Good friends are
trustable.
A true friend won’t
try to steal your identity, or your personality. They won’t gossip about you
constantly or try to damage your reputation. They will let you know when
they’re concerned and do their best to stick up for you when you’re in trouble.
Good friend will
always make it clear that they care about you.
Different people may
have different ways of letting you know that they care about you. One person
may give you a big hug whereas another person might gently tease you. a big
clue that some one cares is that they talk to you fairly often and, in general,
know what’s going on in your life and act interested about it.
Good friends sticks
with you in good times and in bad times
Loyalty is a quality
almost every one lists when asked for what they look for in a friend. A loyal
friend will stick with you when your new play is a flop, or when your parents
get divorced. If you move or switch schools, they’ll do their best to stay in
touch with you.
Good friends will
accept you for who you are
In friendship, being
accepting goes hand in hand with being loyal. A true friend rolls with the
punches as you grow, change and know how to deal with your faults.
They are also patient
with you when you make mistakes (even big ones) and learn how to forgive you
when you hurt them. In other words, they treat you as you’d like to be treated,
even when you aren’t at your best.
At this point I want
you to remember you attract the people of your like – minds. If you will ever
enjoy the good qualities of a good friend explained above, you must learn to
grow and become the reality of those qualities.
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