The Gift Of Friendship
To have a friend is to have a precious gift. A good and faithful friend will love us and want God’s best for us. They will do what they can to help us achieve our destiny. When we need advice, we can count on them to give it with our best interests at heart. They truly cheer us on, encourage us to be all we can be, support us, stand with us, and try to guide us into the Lord’s path for us.
How do they know enough about what is going on in our world so they can effectively support us? It is because we feel safe enough with them to tell them who we really are. Of course, this does not mean that every friend will know an equal amount about us – some friends are closer than others. However, it does mean that to the extent that we pull back the curtain of our life to a friend, what they will see is our true self. We don’t try to misrepresent ourselves to a friend.
Being a friend is, likewise, a great privilege in that we are honored to have another trust us enough to be vulnerable with us. It is also a notable responsibility. We must, even in little ways, treat them as an equal. This means they must be respected, listened to, and valued. They are worth our prayers and our support.
If we don’t have a good friend, let’s pray for one. Look for those who have the qualities to be a good friend because the wise are cautious about who they befriend (Proverbs 12:26, NKJV). Finally, let us be a good friend as Spirit-directed opportunities come our way.
Loving trust is more important than mere head knowledge.