Friends

by Tim Howard

We all have friends, especially if you are on Facebook. At last count I personally have nearly 700 friends. That number would increase if I responded to all the requests from people I don’t even know. In saying that, I think we may need to redefine the term ‘friend’ because we all need them.

We live in a world that’s crowded and busy, full of activities, but people are still very lonely. We’re desperate for friends and there’s no better example than Jesus Himself who said, “No longer do I call you slaves … but I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

The more we become like Him, the more we become someone who others may call “friend,” because the best way to find a good friend is to start being one. 

The first quality of someone who is a godly friend is pretty simple. They are first a friend with God and bring people closer to God. In Mark chapter two, some men were carrying a friend who was paralyzed. They were trying to bring him in and set him down in front of Jesus. Someone who is a friend with God is going to usher you to God because they know God. If you want to be a godly friend, you need to be growing in faith and favor with God. If you choose to have a godly friend and be a godly friend to others – You have made a great decision.

One of the most important decisions or choices you’ll make in your lifetime will be choosing friends. Someone said you can tell a lot about a person’s future by looking at the friends they spend time with. I think that’s accurate.

The second quality of a godly friend is based on choice. A person who chooses to be your friend with no strings attached is a rare find. It’s not hard to find people who will choose to be your friend if you have money but when selfish, ulterior motives dictate the choices, something’s wrong. Jesus chose to make us His friend and He only had us in mind.

If you ever find yourself thinking: “I need better friends”, remember it starts with you! If you want a good friend, be a good friend. When you put others and their needs before your own you’re on your way to becoming a godly friend.

The third quality of a godly friend is that they focus on your potential. They look beyond your faults but don’t ignore them. They are willing to speak the truth to you because they want you to reach your potential. We all have flaws and we all make mistakes, but for some reason, these friends have the uncanny ability to look beyond that and focus on the potential they see in you. God does that for us and that’s what a godly friend does for others.

 We need friends like that and we need to be a friend like that to others. With friends like this, how can we lose?