We All Need Friends

A friend is defined as a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. I have been blessed with several. Some I met when I was in school or college. Others joined my community through church or a shared love of entertainment. Some I met at work. They all play different roles in my life and sit at different levels, but all of them hold a special place in my heart. 

This past weekend, four good friends, who I’ve grown to love over the past two decades, and I spent the weekend celebrating a birthday. It was a great weekend. While we haven’t been all together in many, many years, we laughed and talked like no time had passed. It was an amazing weekend of fun and laughter and bonding. 

I understand that I’m blessed and fortunate to have many friends who I can connect with at any number of times and in any number of cities around the US. I know not everyone has that. And within any friendship, it’s important to know who you can trust and how close to get to them (Prov. 18:24). Some people claim to be a friend but would turn on you at the earliest opportunity. Others would give their last. 

What kind of friends do you have? Are they encouraging and supportive? Would they give you whatever they have to help you along the way? Would they put your needs above their own?  What have they shown you? Trust it – not what they say but what they do. People can say anything, but what do they do? Are they selfish and always trying to one up you and others? Are they always taking and never giving? Are they one who shares everything they have? Are they generous with their time and money, even if they have little of it? Once you evaluate your friendships and identify where they line up, you can make better decisions about how you relate to them. 

I hope you can identify some really strong friendships, as we all need someone we can count on to be there. That leads us right to Jesus. He is someone we can always count on. He calls us friend, those of us who accept Him as savior. He gave His life for us (John 15:13). You can’t get more dependable than that. Not matter how good our earthly friends are, they can never exceed His love and care for us. Yes, we need earthly friends, but we need Jesus more.