What is True Friendship?
I've been thinking a lot about friendships lately, especially during Bible study this past week. The focus was on friendships.
The question I asked myself is:
Who are my friends, my true friends?
What about all of the good folks who accept friend requests on Facebook? I've seen some people with over 600 Facebook friends! 600?!?! When I look through the number of people who are my "friends" on my personal Facebook account, I think: they are great acquaintances, people I worship with, childhood friends, classmates, strong women of faith. But just a few of them would I say are personal, close-knit, tried and true, through thick and thin, pick me up when I'm low, friends.
Why is that? I think there are so many people we come in contact with in our lives, but very few are true friends. This verse shed light for me:
Jesus was more than willing to lay His life down for his disciples because they were His friends, His closest companions. And, even beyond that, He was willing to lay His life down for you and me, those who did not know him in the flesh. He was a giver, a sacrificial type of friend. He was not afraid of the giving of Himself.
And so, I reflecting on friendship, I wonder which one of our "friends" is willing to yield, give of themselves, lay down a bit of life for another? Am I willing to do that for people that I call friend? Am I willing to put their needs ahead of my own and really give to them, pour my life into theirs?
The reality is that not many of us are willing to do this, myself included. We sometimes look at relationships and friendships from a "what can you do for me?" perspective. And here in the Scriptures, there isn't much any of us could "do" for Jesus, I mean after all, He is King and Lord of all. Yet, knowing that all we had to offer Him was our filthy sins, He still gave all He had for us and called us His friends. Wow.
So, I walk away from this week's Bible study asking a different set of questions:
What type of friend am I? Am I willing to give, even when I might not get much in return? Am I willing to lay a bit of my life down and pour into someone else's?
It is my prayer that I do better at cultivating the friendships God has blessed me with; more giving and less taking, a sacrificing of myself.
"A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
-Proverbs 18:24
Great post! I have been working on- A friend loveth at all times. Not so easy sometimes. Thank you for bringing to my attention- what kind of friend am I??
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteBeing a friend isn't always easy; you're right.
Glad you stopped by!
Stopping by from Thriving Thursday - I love this post. I too have lots of facebook friends, but very few that would actually stop what their doing to listen to my heart breaking over a situation about my daughter, or pray continually for results for my husbands tests, or drop what they are doing to come to my side. But those few have become extra special to me in the past year. We lift one another up... we encourage one another, I thank the Lord for bringing them to my life. I try my best to be there for them, and help them. I encourage young adults, to surround themselves with Godly friends, ones that they know will speak truth in love, and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. It may only be 2 or 3, but allow the Lord to do a work in those friendships. We must be a friend to have a friend. Thanks for sharing this!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Piper,
DeleteThank you for stopping by to share your thoughts. You are so right, a few, close, Godly friends are a great gift.
Take care!