Why Friends Are Important

This post is written to link with Five Minute Friday– write for five minutes on a one word prompt.  The prompt today is “friend.”

“Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys,
and dividing our grief.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

Friendship is one of the greatest gifts.  God said from the very start, “It is not good for man to be alone.”  (Genesis 2:18)  We were made for companionship, to share life together- both the good and the bad.

In God we have the ultimate friend- the friend who is always there, who will never abandon us, who cheers us on and encourages us to grow- but human friends are important too.

Even Jesus needed friends to travel with him, to share in his work, to support him and pray for him.

Choosing the right friends is important because our friendships influence us and bring transformation, either negative or positive: “The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.”  (Proverbs 12:26 NLT)

In the Bible we see people transformed by Jesus’ willingness to be a friend: the Samaritan woman by the well, Zacchaeus, other tax collectors and “sinners” who were looked down on and despised by others, but welcomed and loved by Jesus.

Today I’m grateful for the friendships that have transformed me, and are continuing to transform me.  After struggling with my church situation for a long time, I feel that now I am building good friendships with people in the new church plant I am part of.  It makes such a difference to know that there are people who care, who will text to ask how things are going, who make me feel safe to open up, knowing that I will be accepted, and who are fun to spend time with.

I’m also grateful for you, my online friends.  I didn’t expect to find such a wonderful, friendly community when I started blogging, and the encouragement and support I have found here has definitely motivated me to keep going.

Thank you for being good friends who encourage me with your kind comments and who teach me so much by sharing your own stories and insights, pointing me to God and encouraging me in living for him.

I thank God for you all.