FRIENDSHIP

Many people have a different view of what friendship is all about; some people are busy trusting of new people and accept them into their heart without asking any question. For these types of folks, they assume someone is their friend until the find out otherwise. Other people might act friendly with somebody but not consider them a friend for quite a while. In the world today, there are many relationships and friendships but the question lies who is a friend? A friend is someone who is well known to another and regarded with liking, affection and loyalty. A friend is someone who will always be there for you especially in time of needy. Friend will come and go in your life but more important how long a friendship lasts, a good friend will love you for who you are. The way you can tell the sign of a good friend is by looking at the actions they take big or small that shows they care. A good friend will always support you no matter what and he/she would never judge you rather they would correct you. Someone you can trust, someone who wont let you down or deliberately hurt your feelings. Someone who is kind, respectful, loyal, trustworthy and always say the true even when it hurts. A friend is someone who will love you because they choose to and not because they feel like they should. Someone who can smile with you mourns with you, rejoice with you and weep with you. Someone whose company you enjoy, someone who makes you smile, who is there to listen, who cry when you are crying. Thats indeed a good friend. Friends are kind and act as a positive influence in your life. It should go, without saying the real friend makes you feels good, as opposed to bring you down. People who are genuinely your friend put your relationship above being right or trying to feel superior. If someone constantly put you down, he or she is not a real friend. However, people have bad days and acts imperfect, so there are times when a true friend will be negative or hurt your feelings, to determine if they are truly a good friend, you have to look at the whole of your relationship. Do not look at moment alone but consider how he or she makes you feel when you are with them. If someone is really your friend, they act in a kind manner, they do nice thing for you without reciprocation but if they kindly ask you to do things for them without ever reciprocating, chances are they arent really a friend. Friends dont keep score but there is a balance to the relationship. Friends would trade off in giving each other the floor in a conversation and in life, and would understand when the moment is their friends and not theirs. One ought to be in friendship but it depends on the platform you want to lay yours, it must be platonic in form and to be a good friend in a friendship, you must learn that are listed above and practice the biblical friendship and what it means to be a friend. In Ecclesiastics6 -16, it is recorded that.... a friend is a medicine of life and they that fear the LORD shall find him. A friend is one who.. 1. SYMPATHIZES AND COMFORTS: (Job 2 - 11) always shares your joy and sorrow with your friends. If they are in sorrow, do not abandon them, spend time with them and comfort them. 2. INTERCEDES FOR HIS FRIEND: (Job 16:20) A friend intercedes and prays for his or her friend. Our prayer goes a long way in wiping the tears of our friends. Do not think that your prayer will ever go in vain because when you pray for your friend, God will bless you.

3. COVERS THE OFFENCE OF HIS FRIEND: (Proverb 17:9) when you love someone, it is important you do not give them up. It is important that you do not tell other their mistakes; it is also important for you to confront your friend personally if he or she is doing something wrong but never tell about their mistakes to others. 4. LOVES AT ALL TIME: (Proverb 17:17) a friend always love. 5. STICK CLOSER THAN A BROTHER : (Proverb 18:24) friends are always there no matter what, families may forget or forsake you but a real friend will always stick to you. 6. CAN BE TRUSTED: (Proverb 27:6) a friend is one who is honest with you no matter what. There are people in the world today who will flatter you, exalt you to make you feel good but a friend is one who sees through all that and speaks the truth. Be careful of the flatterer. 7. GIVES EARNEST COUNSEL: (Proverb 27:9) the counsel of a friend is so refreshing that the bible says it is like perfume and incense. But because of those friend who counsel you for their own gain. 8. LIFT UP: (Ecclesiastics 4:10) a old saying goes like this, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Christ did not give up when we were dying in sin, He gave his life for us when we needed him and that is a true friend.

Finally, John 15:13 talks about the ULTIMATE FRIENDSHIP greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. And you are my friend if you do whatsoever I command you. He gave his life for us as a role model of how a friend should be..