The Art of Friendship A look at what makes a real friend Having friends and being friends are two very different things. “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.” Friendship experiences are universal. Many of us have known the satisfaction, security and benefits of good friendships. We have also known people who we thought were friends, only to have them betray us, hurt us or disappoint us. And if we were brutally honest with ourselves, most of us would have to admit that at sometime in our lives, we too have betrayed, hurt or disappointed our friends. We all have our own ideas about friendship. Children usually think of friends as those with whom they play or have fun. Teens often define their friends as the kids they cruise around with on a Friday night or whoever is available to do things with. Others consider their friends to be the people they know. But maybe a real friend is something more: perhaps it’s one who is willing to do things for you even if it’s inconvenient, someone who will stick up for you, someone who really cares. The Bible has quite a lot to say about friendship, especially in Proverbs. But its perspective is different from what we might think. Our preoccupation is usually with having friends. The Bible’s focus is on being a friend. This subtle shift of simple participles creates an antithetical view of staggering proportions. The difference in perspective is paramount, and the implications are life-changing. When I’m concerned with having friends, my focus is on myself and my own needs. But when my desire is to be a friend, I’m thinking about other people—I’m caring more about others than I do about myself. The simple and ironic truth is that those who want to have friends must first be a friend to others. Those who are true friends to others will never lack for friends. True, many people will never reciprocate with friendship in return, but many others will. The wounds will be many, but so, too, will be the rewards.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:22:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015