What attributes come to mind when you think of a true friend?
I think we can learn some attributes of a true friend from thinking about:
–The example Jesus gave us
–Our relationship with Him
–And our own friends who might mirror Christ to us.
Remember too, that a friendship works both ways…
–It is a blessing to have true friends
–And, we have the honor of being true friends to others.
Photo credit by MICHELLE TEGROOTENHUIS under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
A true friend is:
–Someone who really CARES what is happening in your life
–Someone who WALKS WITH YOU whether you are hurting or happy
–Someone who LISTENS to you with all his/her heart
–Someone who SHARES your ups and downs
–Someone who makes you SMILE and LAUGH
–Someone you can DEPEND on to support you especially in the struggles
–Someone you can TALK to about anything and everything
–Someone who shares their FAITH with you to help you grow
–Someone who ENCOURAGES you in your walk
–Someone who CHALLENGES you to be a better you
–Someone who UNDERSTANDS what you are saying
–Someone who shows COMPASSION when you need it most
–Someone who PRAYS with and for you
–Someone who REACHES OUT to you and forgets about their own needs.
I thank the Lord for His gift and example of being a true friend to us and for the special true friends He has placed in my pathway to share my life with.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. –John 15:12-15 (NIV)