Nurturing Quality Friendships

Nurturing Quality Friendships

In the tapestry of our lives, friendship is a fine thread that’s woven with care, mutual understanding, and empathy. Being a good listener is important to being a good friend. Finding friends in our shared religion helps us work toward a more relaxed and comfortable friendship.

Cultivating these friendships requires some important steps in our lives. We must first be a good listener to become a good friend. Friendships should be approached with compassion, love, and kindness in our lives.

Understanding the Sacred Nature of Friendship

Proverbs 27:17 declares, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This teaches us that a good friendship will help uplift us and reflect our shared experiences as well as support and wisdom.

We’re taught that we should be selective of our friends. We should choose those who reflect our views and who are representative of our beliefs. It’s not saying that we shouldn’t be kind and friendly toward those who don’t believe as we do, but rather, we should seek to establish strong bonds of friendship with those who believe as we do.

The Essence of Being a Good Friend

Good friends, in today’s era, are hard to come by. It sometimes seems that everyone is out for themselves. What are the qualities of a good friend? What do you seek when you’re looking for friends?

A good friendship goes beyond superficial gestures. Being a good friend requires a deep commitment to the core principles of your belief system. You’ll need to treat others as you want to be treated. Listening and keeping an open mind and an open heart are tantamount to being a good friend. You’ll want to avoid judgment and practice loving others.

We must strive to be open, honest, and humble ourselves, recognizing our imperfections. Don’t try to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye before removing the beam from your own eye. Matthew 7:3-5. Then, and only then, will you be of help to your friend.

Nurturing Spiritual Growth Through Friendship

When we are friends with those who believe as we do, we are growing spiritually. When we express our friendship through shared beliefs and actions, inspiring others, and treating others as we want to be treated, our friendships grow both spiritually and physically.

A good friend is supportive. A good friend isn’t hiding from the phone when we call. We celebrate both joy and sorrow together when we’re good friends.

In a world that is fraught with sorrow and sadness, let’s take the time to ensure that our friendships are glimmers of hope to others. Let’s express greater compassion, understanding, and connectivity. Let’s take the time to embody the essence of being a good friend through our empathy, unwavering support, and humility. Let’s not only honor our faith, but let’s illuminate our faith through our friendships.