Friends are the best!

How you can show your friends that they matter.

Recently it was the birthday of my best friend, Ariadne, and I realised that I had known her for so long. How did we stay friends for such a long time? It’s surely not because of material things – the things we like, our similar hobbies, or money. It’s not something of this wretched world. It is love. Out of our differences and similarities, we stayed friends with each other because of love.

So, I can’t think of anything better to do than to thank God, for he demonstrated the art of friendship—of love. 1 John 5:19 says, “We love each other, because he loved us first.”

Friendship is built on love. Not the love this world offers, but the love that can make someone lay down his or her life for his or her friends. A love like that of Jesus (John 15: 12-13).

Friends cannot be bought with money or anything. They are God given gifts, so we should take care of them. Here are just some of the ways we can treasure our friendship with each other:

Show them that they’re special

Don’t be selfish. Friendship is not about the gains you can acquire from the other person, but it is how you can serve them. Jesus himself served his disciples!

Don’t abuse them

Being close to someone doesn’t mean that you can’t hurt them. Friends have feelings, and they won’t be numb to your rude comments because you’re close to them. Instead, they can be more sensitive around you, since your opinion matters to them more than other people. Let us always be careful with our actions and words.

Don’t blurt out their secrets

Trust is established in friendship, and destroying it is not a good thing. I once had a friend who blurted out my secrets to the church, because she said that it was for my good. But it never is. We are the light of this world, and sometimes, we need to expose someone’s darkness to the person sinning, not to the world. If your friend told you his/her dark secrets, correct him/her directly, with love. You can use the word of God, telling him/her that it’s an expression of your love as a friend. That would be more helpful than exposing him/her and destroying his/her reputation. A real friend would consider your advice, given that he/she asked for your guidance. My friend who exposed my sins to others gained my gratitude, but she lost my trust.

Be yourself

It is better for someone to love the real you, than your best imitation. A real friend will accept you, no matter what state you are in. As Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times.”

Establish a relationship with the author of friendship first

You cannot give true love if you don’t have it. Relationships, in all forms, should be God-centered. This is not simply the best way to ensure an established friendship with others, this is the only way.

Jesus commanded us to love each other in the same way He loved us (John 15:12), and obeying this leads to a far greater experience. I’m thankful to God for giving me friends, for in this dark world, they are the stars that show me light. Friends join us in the adventure in this life. Take this opportunity to thank God for giving you friends!