Friendship Goals

INTRODUCTION

A true friend is someone who knows our weaknesses but accepts and understands us despite these. A friend strives to be patient with us and forgives us for our shortcomings. True friends bring out the best in each other.

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A friend is here with us through the ups and downs of life, and does not simply run away when we do not agree with him. He does not stick around just because of need, but also because he wants to share life experiences with us out of Christian love. He knows the meaning of generous giving and receiving. An authentic pal is someone who considers the perspective of his friend and not only his own, in order to understand where the other is coming from. We may not always be able to share our material things with each other, but we are glad to make space in our hearts for each other’s circumstances.

I accompanied a person in his journey. He often called up to seek help and would talk to me about his woes. Unfortunately, when his crisis became overwhelming, he shut me out. There might have been a time when I was rather upset with him, but despite my trying to explain where I was coming from, he refused to clear the air with me in person. Even when I would reach out repeatedly, he simply turned a deaf ear to me. This pained me a lot because I truly went out of my way to help him. By God’s grace, I worked on forgiving him and up to this day, I pray for his personal healing.

Friendship takes two to tango. People who value their relationship persevere in bridging gaps and genuinely communicate by listening and understanding where each one is coming from. It is very easy to fall into the trap of misinterpreting what the other party is saying.

Who are the people you refer to as your friends? No two people are exactly alike, but people who become good friends for a lifetime make efforts to nourish their ties. They look at what binds them more than what divides them. Differences in character become opportunities for growth and sharing, instead of these becoming obstacles. True friends bring out the best in each other. Even if they might hurt each other by telling the truth, the sense of respect remains.

How do you deepen your bond with your friend? Do you make the effort to listen to him from the heart? Do you lead each other to the Lord? Proverbs 17:17 reminds us, “A friend is a friend at all times, and a brother is born for the time of adversity.”

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