According to Facebook, I have over 400 friends. Those of you who know me, know that I have very few people I call a friend. This is not because of a lack of social skills. It is because I am very selective with who I allow into my inner circle. (Please keep in mind that this post is only in reference to people who are not related to me.) My inner circle is where my heart is and not everyone will have the privelege of being close to my heart.
Proverbs 17:17 states: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." That means when the tough gets going, the friends don't. Being a friend means you are willing to give your time and energy to building up another person and in turn they will do the same for you. Friendship is a seed-sowing, "give myself away" type of relationship. Every friendship has boundaries, that should be established in the beginning. Friends do not take advantage of the situation and they do not intentionally cause harm.
Notice in the second part of the verse, it says "and a brother is born for a time of adversity." There are only two people in this whole world that are like sisters to me. We became sisters at a time of adversity and rose above it. Like any biological group of siblings, we have our ups and downs, but we always overcome any obstacle. They are the only ones who understand my 16 personalities. A friendship is an equal partnership. Friends communicate honestly and fairly. They show and receive respect. Friends love you on your worst days and on your good days. There is give and take, happy and sad, love and sometimes un-like (never hate). Most importantly, there are no hidden agendas in friendships and there are no alterior motives.
Regardless of the season, a true friend will support you and have your back. My advice for you today is to look at who you are calling your "friend". Who is in your support system and are they really supporting you? Some of them may need to drop down to the associate level and some may just need to be "un-friended".
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