What Affects Friendship?by Dale Harcombe | More from this Blogger 13 Apr 2008 09:20 PM Friendship seems to be the 'in' topic at the moment. Everywhere I find articles about friendship making friends, keeping friends, letting go of friends, dealing with friends in specific situations. I've written several myself on the topic. It all made me wonder why friendship has recently become such a big topic. Is it because people are so pressured for time and time poor in today's society that relationships, whether that be romantic or friendly relationships are the first to suffer? Is it because people move more often than they did in earlier times and those moves often put people further away from family so friends become more important. Or alternatively because moving prompts a case of out of sight out of mind' and friends are lost? I'd like to hear your thoughts. The Harbor by Carla Neggers, a novel, it had this to say 'People tended not to like people who always fretted about whether or not they were liked.' I think there's some truth in that. People who are confident and expect people to like them, are usually those others gravitate towards. People who constantly worry about how others view them, are focusing on themselves rather than the person they are talking to. How much to you listen to what other are saying or are you one who talks a lot and can't wait for someone to finish before adding your words. What does the bible - our guide book for living- have to say about friends? Proverbs says: Proverbs 17:17 'A friend loves at all times' So a friend is not looking at having their say and bemoaning their problems, so much as listening to and caring for others. That then shows in their actions. Proverbs 18:24 provides a warning and a blessing 'A man of many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' That friend is Jesus the one who will always listen, never let us down, never break a promise, and never tell a secret. I've had two friends recently struggling with the fact that a friend they trusted had told their secret to others. 'Wealth brings friends,' Proverbs 19:4. But how long do they stay around and are they sort of friends you'd want? Proverbs 19:6 Everyone is a friend to him who gives gifts. There's two ways of reading this verse. People only connect with others for what they can get out of them and that seems to fit with the idea of verse 4 that wealth adds many friends. But what sort of friends are they? Fair-weather friends it would appear. I like to think verse 6 means those who are generous with what they have, be it love, time, or money, will attract people to them. There is something attractive about a generous person.Does that describe you? Bible verses taken from The New International Version except for the quote of Proverbs 18:24 which is from the The New American Standard Version. Please visit these related blogs Learn more about Dale Harcombe  Dale has a passion for books and writing. She writes in various forms, from articles to poetry to fiction for children and adults. Relevantchristian tags User Comments  J920 (1545) 14 Apr 2008 08:35 AMAs a newlywed with kids, I want friendship but also see how easy it is to make that a low priority in relation to marriage, kids, etc. At this stage in my life and from a practical standpoint, I pray for friendship from like couples. I don't mean the same ethnicity but with common interests and ofcourse same faith. Although for us we haven't found our BFF couples, I know God wants to befriend one another, support one another and view fellow Christians as family. Am I being preferential to just people who profess to be Christian? No, but we are to be as blameless as doves and shrewd as snakes. We are to be careful of the company we keep and who let into our family and marriages.  Dale Harcombe |
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