what god says about friendship

How to Be A Good Friend

Good friends can be HARD to come by, am I right?

But how often do we actually stop to make sure WE are being good friends to others?

Friendship is a beautiful and essential part of life. And friendship is a two-way street.

The Bible has multiple verses about the benefits of a GOOD FRIEND.

John 15:12 sums it up well when it says, “Love each other as I have loved you.”

How has Jesus loved us?

He put us before Himself, even going to die for us. He forgave us and forgives us a LOT. He is kind to us. He encourages, but He’s also real with us and corrects us. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. This is KEY to being a good friend. Think of others before yourself.

 

 

 

 

Let’s dive in to more verses about being a good friend.

  • Luke 6:31. Do to others as you would have them do to you. When people treat you wrong OR right, your response and your actions should always be to do to others as you would have them do to you.
  • Proverbs 18:24 says that ruin comes from UNRELIABLE friends, but a good friend is someone who sticks closer than a brother.
  • Proverbs 19:20 calls us all to listen to advice and discipline. This implies we should have people around us that give us advice and correction, and we should be those people for others. Be willing to not just be a yes-man but also to give advice and even correction.
  • Proverbs 22:24-25 says not to associate yourself with a hot tempered person. Let’s flip it. Want to be a good friend? Don’t be hot tempered either.
  • I LOVE Proverbs 13:20. It calls us to walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harms. Guys, we have to be careful who we associate with, but, too, are we the type of people we would want as friends? Here it says to associate with the wise. Are we wise? We owe it to our friends to grow in wisdom.
  • Colossians 3:12-14 calls us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, to forgive one another and to put on love. THESE are good friend qualities.
  • Proverbs 27:5-6 says that an open rebuke from someone who loves us is better than the kisses of an enemy. Be a friend that’s REAL.
  • Proverbs 17:17 says a friend loves at all times.
  • Proverbs 26:17 talks about how people should sharpen one another – especially friends. Build each other up. Help each other grow.

 

 

A quick practical tip on love: learn your friends’ love languages and learn to love them in ways they feel loved! 

 

The Bible has TONS to say about being a good friend. It can almost be overwhelming to keep track of them all.

 

 

 

 

At the core, be a friend who LOVES.

 

What is love?

Let’s go through that oh-so-famous 1 Corinthians 13 passage. If you are a friend who loves, you’re a friend who is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud. Be a friend who doesn’t dishonor their friends. Be a friend who isn’t self-seeking. Be a friend who isn’t angered easily and doesn’t keep a record of their friends’ wrongs. Be a friend who doesn’t delight in evil. Be a friend who rejoices in the truth. Be a friend who protects and trusts. Be a friend who hopes. Be a friend who perseveres.     

 

Let’s pray for more love in our friendships.

 

 

XO, 

 

Meg