What is a friend?

How would you define a friend? Someone you say hello in passing? Someone you call out for a drink? Someone you confide in? Someone you gossip with?

It's so easy to introduce someone as your friend but stop - really, what is a friend? Friendships form a significant part of our lives, yet it is easy to use the word 'friend' loosely.

To me, a friend is someone you can trust to tell you the truth for your own good even if the truth hurts. Someone you rely on to help you through obstacles life throws in your path. Someone you can talk to about anything and who continues to patiently listen to your ramblings. Someone with whom you share your good and bad times. Someone who is a shoulder to cry on. Someone you can sit comfortably with in silence without feeling the need to make up meaningless conversation. Someone you can be yourself with.

A friend is someone who knows when you need a hug. Someone who knows when to say thank you. Someone who knows how to say sorry and actually mean it. Someone who does not take you for granted. A friend is one who accepts you for who you are. "A friend is someone who knows us, but loves us anyway." - Jerome Cummings

On top of all this, even more importantly, a friend is someone who believes. I was challenged at today's Women's Breakfast to really think what friendships really mean and who really are friends. Colossians 3 encourages us not to lose sight of the key principles of friendship. There shouldn't be slander, lies, greed and jealousy. Fill it instead with compssion, kindness, forgiveness, love and humility. Many times, I thought it was obvious that Mr/Ms Popular in school had more friends. But as Proverbs 13:20 says "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." How encouraging that the Bible acknowledges that friendships should be wisely chosen. I say wisely because it makes it clear that we shouldn't discriminate in making friends - race, belief, gender, ability; yet wisely because we need to know who influences and tempts us away from the right path.

Whilst reading the various verses, I realised more and more how lucky I was to have friends who believed. Friends who prayed for me when I walked away from God. They may have been frustrated and impatient with me at times for not seeing the obvious and for not accepting Christ back. But they never showed it once. The gentle encouragement. Jo and Joanna....

Thank You.