Not a week goes by that I don’t get one of these ‘friend’ requests. There’s even a new word born out of this phenomenon: It’s called “friending”—meaning that connecting is only a click away! Through social connectivity, it is possible to have many acquaintances, but not one person with whom you are truly intimate. This 21st century 'friendship' paradigm should prompt us to examine what the Bible says.
Following are a few statements I took off an Internet site in which people offered their definition of a friend: 1) someone we care about and is ready to help us during times of distress; 2) a person with whom we share most of our thoughts; 3) someone we can always count upon our during an emergency. (One of my favorites was this one: a friend is someone who helps you move!) While all these statements contain truth, there is something missing: a friend is committed to helping you become a better person.
Solomon says: The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:9, 17) A friend who is willing to tell you the “truth”—speaking the truth in love—is one who ‘makes’ you better. These are not ‘easy’ relationships. They are often messy and inconvenient. Don’t get so caught up in ‘friending’ you forget the meaning of true friendship. And I am quite sure you won't find it on Facebook.
Thank you, Greg! This made me realize that of the 200 facebook friends I have, the true ones are more like 5-10 if that!
ReplyDeleteyou are quite blessed if you have more than a few 'real' friends--the ones who speak the truth in love!! I am glad for you.
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought out that definition. That really shows how we're surrounded by so many who compliment or butter you up verses the very few who have the courage that speak the truth in love.
ReplyDeleteThere are probably many ways to define friendship, and I thought this definition (someone who makes you better) might seem a bit
ReplyDelete'cheesy' but it's true, isn't it!!
It's that way in marriage. A husband should want to help make his wife all she can be, and vice versa. That has been my desire, though I don't always lift her up... I try to encourage her. She is, after all, my BEST friend!