Who is a friend?
“I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
A friend is someone who is with you in good times and bad times. They are the ones who can sense when you're feeling down and then reach out and encourage you to rise above your difficulties. The Bible has a lot to say about friendship as its focus is for us to always be a friend.”
David’s friendship with Jonathan is one of the most outstanding and moving stories in all of Scripture. Few people are blessed to have such committed friendship as Jonathan’s. David calls Jonathan his brother, reminiscent of the verses from Proverbs. Jonathan was closer to David than a brother. He was closer than a wife. Such analogies speak deeply of commitment, for the fundamental bond between brother and brother, or husband and wife, is commitment. Commitment is the word that unlocks the real meaning of friendship.”
I saw a poster stating that “A friend is a person who is willing to take me the way I am.” Is that person truly a friend? If we leave a person the same way we find them, there seems to be a misunderstanding on what it means to be a friend. Acts of a friendship should result in self-improvement, better attitudes, self-reliance, comfort, consolation, self-respect, and better welfare. You should bea positive influence on your friends. Tell them the truth at all times even if it will hurt them. After all it is for their good.
A good question for friends to ask regularly is, “Are we truly seeking the other persons highest good?”
A lot of research has been done looking into the benefits of friendship, and the research has found out that the better quality relationships you have; the more likely you are to be happy. Therefore it’s good for your happiness to be a friend to someone and to also have good friends.
“People will walk in and walk out of your life, but the one whose footstep made a long lasting impression is the one you should never allow to walk out." Michael Bassey Johnson
It can be hard to make time in our busy schedules for our friends. Sometimes if all we can manage is a little gesture of friendship, then that's better than nothing. Sending text messages helps, even if it's just to say "hi." Face book or Instagram is a great way to quickly take stock of what your friends are up to. Commenting on your friend’s photo is a way of interacting with them. I know social media isn't a replacement for one-on-one time, but social media is a way of staying connected to your friends. It also gives you the opportunity to engage and interact with people you might ordinarily not have a chance to meet in real life.
It's important to understand that, sometimes, not all of our friendships will stand the test of time. Maybe you've grown apart, maybe there's distance between you or maybe you no longer have as much in common. Allow such friendships go, you can always make great friendships at any point in your life only be true to yourself. When you are being true to yourself, you are completely honest with what you feel, deeply value, and desire. It also means communicating your feelings wholeheartedly both with yourself and others. This attitude allow you cultivate long lasting friendships.
By Hilda Oti
