True Friendship
Throughout most of my life, I have wondered how many true friends I really have. It’s easy for people to say, “I’m praying for you” or “I think of you even when I don’t write,” but I always wondered if that were really the case (although I am guilty of thinking of people more than I write as well).
Lately, I have realized that I do have a few close friends, and I sometimes wonder why since many seem to have none.
John 15:13 tells us: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
I used to interpret this in terms of dying, but that is not the only way to lay down a life. I have been blessed lately by friends who are willing to serve me, going far and above the call of duty, and I’ve decided nothing says friendship like that does. I am very blessed to have a family that loves me and does so much for me but I’m not sure how to handle it when others do those same things for me. At the same time, I’m very grateful when they do.
I am also thankful for friends who text and email me just to see how I’m doing. This takes a bit of time and thought on my friends’ part so speaks “care” to me as well.
And last but not least are the friends I know who pray for me frequently. I know this is often what gets me through life. Without this, I’m convinced my struggles would be greater so I do not take this for granted.
True friendship can be measured in different ways. What means a lot to me may not mean a lot to you but the point is that the world is in need of people who really care. Christians should radiate love to everyone around them.
Christians should be trustworthy, not given to gossip or slander. Too often, people suffer in silence because they don’t know who to trust, and the fact is they may not have anyone to trust. This is so sad.
You are called to be a Light in a dark world. Part of being that Light is being different. The only one you should be comparing yourself to is Christ. He epitomized love and care and compassion, and He wanted His children to extend that same love, care, and compassion to others. Instead, we tend to focus on ourselves and our needs that we forget about those who could use a kind, comforting word.
If you have a true friend in your life, someone you can lean on in your times of trial, who will pray with you when you need it and never make you feel like a burden, take time to tell that friend how thankful you are to have them in your life, and be sure to pray for them in return.
If there are people that God has put in your life to be a friend to, be faithful to be that true friend that points them to Jesus and shows them His love. After all, you may be the only true friend they ever have.
Sony:
I consider you a friend through this column and Facebook.
But for more than 30 years I have not had “CLOSE” friend.
I had parents, but I never had the freedom to “SPILL MY SOUL” to them. It was lack of confidence that I could not.
I had one man in my life, who was a Christian and we would go fishing and what I said to him stayed with him. He was my friend. He was like a Dad and I lost my best friend to cancer almost 30 years ago.
I have tried to create friendships, but I have never succeeded again. They all share confidences.
There are something you can’t talk with your spouse. I don’t talk to pastors, because I have been betrayed by them also.
Just pray for me because I do get depressed.
I may even sound like a woman talking. But men do fight depression.I look at my Facebook and I see very few likes on what I share. And I see people sharing posts that came from me, but they manage not to show they shared it from me, by copying and pasting. I share from the people who are my friends and I do very little copying and pasting..Looks like my Facebook friends do not want to be known as a friend of Scotty.
God bless you.