A Friend

A friend is someone who will help you move a refrigerator. A friend is someone who will hang out with you even if you have nothing to do. A friend seeks out your company. He stays with you despite the circumstances. Friendship is a mutual bond. Love can be a one-way street, because you can love someone without your love being returned. In a friendship, however, the feeling is mutual; otherwise, the relationship isn’t one of friendship. The natures of friendship and love are different, too. Love is blind. A person deeply in love can’t see the faults of the beloved. A friend sees the faults but ignores the minor ones and brings the important issues to your attention without hurting your feelings. The Bible says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Proverbs 27:6). Trust is one of the strongest tokens of true friendship. We give friendly greetings to relatives, coworkers, acquaintances, and people we meet in passing. We may hold some of those we know in admiration and respect. Yet friends are special people. We seek them out because we want them to be in our lives. Our friendship is not because work with them, occupy a place in their family tree, or meet with them because of business or other reasons. The Bible notes the difference between companions and friends with the proverb “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (proverbs 18:24). Friends are equal. People begin friendships regardless of difference and status, education, wealth, or possessions. Those differences can be positive for the relationship. The Bible says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Friendship can’t long endure, however, if one member is always in need of help. Each member must bring something to share with the other. Friendship takes time and commitment. We can act friendly toward all people, but we can be true friends to only a few. It takes effort and work to build a friendship because friendship is not an emotion it’s an action. Friendship is not maintenance free. Consequently, making new friends takes extra effort so that new friends don’t come between existing friendships. The Bible mentions many friends: David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:42), Jesus and Lazarus (john 11:11), Paul and Luke (Colossians 4:14), and John and Gaius (3 John 1:1). Abraham was called a friend of God (James 2:23). Every friend is a gift from God. The most blessed friendships are those between Christians.