Friendship

A friend of mine once told me she was praying for her daughter at school, that her daughter would be a friend. A great way to pray. 

I want to be a friend too. How about you?

In friendship, there is give and take. Sometimes I stop and ask myself if I’ve been giving lately or if I’ve been taking lately. That’s a good pair of questions for figuring out if we have a balance. During some seasons, there’s a reason for more "taking" (like if you’ve had a baby and friends bring over meals—receiving is a necessity). And during other seasons, you can be the one giving (when a friend’s parent dies, for example, you can reach out to them). 

Here are some keys I’ve learned about friendships:

Don’t play favorites. There are people you will connect with more than others. People you’ll trust more. People you’ll let get closer, but respect every person. Treat every person with compassion and grace. God doesn’t want us to play favorites because every human is important to Him.

Stay humble. We wouldn’t have one friend without God’s grace. He knows friendship is key—it was His idea. He even calls us friends. If we become prideful, we run the risk of alienating friends and losing them. The best approach is humility. The people in your life are gifts from God. Treat them accordingly. 

When there are misunderstandings, trust God to minister to your friend and to you. Stuff happens. You can have the best intentions and be misunderstood. It’s painful and can result in rejection, but the key is to trust God, pray for your friends, and watch what God does. He’s doing a work in both of you during this time. 

And finally, pray for your friends. This is the most valuable gift you can give. They don’t even have to know you’re doing it. Just lift them up. Pray about the issues you know they’re facing and the behind-the-scenes stuff you don’t know is happening (because there’s always something). 

Thank God for friends. Just knowing they’re there can get you through some of the darkest days.