Your Best Friend

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 

It seems that friends are important. Everyone wants at least one friend. Someone that they can call their best friend. Someone that they have fun with, count on, and talk to. The bible is clear, and teaches that two are better than one and that we will need help from a friend in this life. But, what are some other things that the bible teaches about friends?

 

 

 

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."-Proverbs 13:20

 

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." -Proverbs 27:5-6

 

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."-Proverbs 27:17

 

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." -Proverbs 18:24

 

4 Things to Remember When Picking Friends

1. Be Careful. Everything that we allow into our lives influences us in one way. Friends are one of these influences. Surround yourself with people that you can look up to.

 

2. True friends will be honest with you. Surround yourself with people who love you enough to tell you the truth. A good friend is someone who will tell you what you need to hear even when you don't want to hear it. Be careful of those who only say good things about you. We need friends who will encourage us, but also correct us.

 

3. Ask yourself, "Do they complement or complicate my relationship with Jesus?" Good friends are those who want the best for us. The best for us is to be in close relationship with Jesus. Surround yourself with people who bring you closer to Christ, not pull you farther away. We need friends who are partnering with us in our mission with Jesus. This is also a great question to ask when considering dating or courting.

 

4. Jesus is best friend material. You've heard the Christian cliché, "Christianity isn't a religion but a relationship." Well, it's true. Many believe that the friend that will stick closer than a brother mentioned in Prov. 18:24 is actually Jesus. Jesus wants a relationship with us, and though we will fail, He will not. Allow Jesus to be your best friend, and the greatest influence on your life.