You were created on this earth to enjoy relationships and one of those is friendship. How rare and wonderful it is to find a genuine friend who loves you for you. I woke up this morning with a beautiful song in my heart, the greatest friend you can ever have lives right on the inside and teaches you how to be a friend. The kind of friend that makes a difference and is truly present. Are you being the type of friend that you want to have? Are you genuine? It's not about the quantity but the quality of friends that you have. Friend means "a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations." OR "a person who you like and enjoy being with; a person who helps or supports someone or something (such as a cause or charity)." What motivates you to be a friend to someone?
You know what you expect of a friend... are you being those things? Qualities of a good friend include: trustworthy, honest, dependable, loyal, empathetic, non-judgmental, a good listener, supportive, in good and bad times, self-confident (so they're not always trying to 'one-up' you or compare themselves to you), humorous and are certainly fun to be around! The Word of God says a friend sticks closer than a brother! (Proverbs 18:24) Also, "A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17) As you pause and think about your friend(s), how is that going? Remember, not everyone is going to be your friend. As I mentioned earlier, it's not about the quantity but quality of friend(s). I would rather have one true friend than a bunch of fake friends. Be the friend that you want to have.
When challenges come with friends, continue to hold your head up high. Some friends are for seasons, and when that season is over, and those friends are no longer meant to be in your life, don't hold on as if you will never ever have a friend. Life happens, and you keep moving. If a friendship needs to be salvaged after trust has been broken, it takes the two of you to mend that relationship, it cannot be one-sided. Today, if you are grieving a friendship that has been lost, or destroyed, pause... take a step back and think about what happened. It's never about blame and fault because that won't resolve the issue or mend the relationship. Think about what needs to be said or done to save or redeem that friendship. Please, don't ever force friendship :)
The song I woke up singing this morning was "What a friend we have in Jesus" which is a beautiful reminder about what true and genuine friendship looks like. The lyrics are:
"What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
May you be encouraged today that no matter what happens in life, you will always have the best (true) and faithful friend--Jesus. "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) Always be thankful for the genuine friends you have. Never take them for granted and remind them how much you appreciate and love them with kind gestures and your presence. Be the friend that you want to have in your life!
