by Ricky Chelette, Executive Director
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." Prov 13:20
Friends are so important in our lives. "A recent Harvard study concluded that having solid friendships in our life even helps promote brain health.
Friends help us deal with stress, make better lifestyle choices that keep us strong, and allow us to rebound from health issues and disease more quickly. Friendship is equally important to our mental health. One study even suggested spending time with positive friends actually changes our outlook for the better. "
But how do we find good friends? Here are some basic characteristics to look for: 1. Are they honest? 2. Do they bring out the best in you? 3. Do they push you towards Jesus? 4. Do they encourage and/or challenge you? 5. Can you laugh with them?
Friends have an incredible influence on our lives. Because we often spend significant time with them, their attitudes, language, gestures, and even interest can greatly influence us. If they are wise, we can become wiser. However, if they are foolish, they can easily influence us to make poor choices. 1 Cor. 15:33 (NIV) warns that "bad company corrupts good character." We need to be careful who is influencing our heart, mind, and soul.
Christians need to have friends who are not believers. However, it is even more critical that our closest, most influential friends, be those who are like-minded, growing in Christ, and seeking to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
But if we are going to find good friends we also have to be the kind of friend we desire. Far too often, we seek to get from others what we are unwilling to be ourselves. We can't approach friendships as a way of simply receiving what we need. We have to be willing to invest in the lives of others, sacrifice time and energy for them, and stick with them through the difficulties that life will bring.
Take a moment and read the story of Jonathan and David (1 Sam. 18). Some want to make their friendship something more than it was. But as we realize the context of their eastern relationship - a cultural reality that was much more expressively intimate than that of western cultures - we see two who become brothers, who genuinely cared for the good of the other, and were willing to sacrifice for the other. Their friendship is a beautiful picture of the kind of love Jesus had for us when He laid down His life for us (Jn. 15:13). What kind of friend are you? How might you be a better friend to others?
