A couple of weeks ago I heard a sermon in which the young pastor reminisced about My Space a bit. I do remember this social media platform, but I don’t remember the particular My Space feature he mentioned. He said that My Space would tell you who your top eight friends were. I suppose this was calculated off of who interacted with you the most.
The point he was getting at was to ask – who are the top people in your life? Who can you talk to about your Christian walk? Who can you rely on and trust? We all need friends who have the same values and beliefs that we do.
The Bible has many verses scattered throughout its pages that illustrate what true friendship looks like. One of my favorite verses that deals with relationships is Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” I think this is a wonderful way to look at two people who are there for each other, they will listen and provide comfort in time of need, and they know one another’s heart. However, they will also help one another grow, they will build one another up, they will strengthen one another, and they will correct one another if needed.
One beloved example of friendship in the Bible is David and Jonathan. The ESV version of the Bible puts it this way, “… the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David…” (1 Samuel 18:1). What a beautiful way to word it! Jonathan was the son of Saul, who was actually out to kill David. Yet Jonathan made a covenant with David and helped him in time of need. They loved one another as though they were brothers. Sadly, one day Jonathan died in battle, but David did not forget him. In fact he found Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, who was unable to walk due to an injury as a child. King David ensured that Mephibosheth had his due inheritance and that he always ate at the king’s table.
In the world of social media, we all have hundreds of “friends.” But in reality the majority are not a deep, bonding type of friendship. Unfortunately, in today’s society, many of our friendships are only surface level. Superior relationships in our world should be cherished.
So I wanted to ask you today – who are your people? Do you have anyone in your life with whom you share a camaraderie like we see in David and Jonathan? If the answer is no, then maybe you will consider making that a goal in your life? Start with prayer. Ask God to bring a solid Christian friendship into your life. If the answer is yes, then take a moment today to thank God for your friends. And also thank your friends for being there for you.
Christians Read 
You could actually choose who your top friends were on MySpace. I remember a lot of people wanting their friends to include them in their Top 8 because other visitors to the page would see who’s close with who. Which makes me think of how we have to choose our friendships wisely so we can have strong bonds built on love and growth, so as to sharpen one another. We need to readily count on a few others when we are in times of need, whether it be a need for advice or even celebration. I have 2 girl friends that I can go to after my family, but somewhere I didn’t have friends was in my motherhood journey, especially being single. The other day I was praying for this and I got an invite to the Single Mom’s group at church! God definitely orchestrates our relationships, we just have to be open to His design–He created us to do life together. Great post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very well said! We do have to choose wisely. It can be easy to become friends with people who have different values. But when our friendships are with like minded Christians, then our relationships will be stronger and richer. And wow! That is wonderful that God answered your prayer! That warms my heart! Thank you so much for commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes I fear that I spend too much time with “social” friends online, and not enough time with real flesh and blood friends. Sure, we can keep in touch with those friends online, but it never has been the same.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know what you mean. Being in different locations or being busy does tend to limit our face-to-face time. And for me, since I am an introvert, it can be difficult to become close to new friends. All these things make me cherish deep relationships all the more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of the “desires of my heart” and a matter of prayer for years has been for a close group of writer friends. So far, that “close” group hasn’t happened but I have many who encourage me as I encourage them, so I am thankful for that. Right now I am at a place where I have no close friends I can meet with, which makes me so aware of the beauty and wonder of friendships. Thank you for your post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I understand completely! I would love to have a close group of writer friends that I could meet with also. I live in a small town, so I don’t really have local options. And friendships in general is something I have been praying for as well. It seems more difficult to make friends these days. But I appreciating more the interaction I get with fellow writers via the internet!
LikeLike
Pingback: A Comforting Promise – Bridget A. Thomas
It is so true that friendships are very superficial these days. And sometimes till you serve a purpose you are a friend and then not so much. True friends are something to cherish and invest in
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is sad but true. Genuine friendships are difficult to find these days. However, I must say, I have had a few people comment on this post. And this tells me that there actually are many people out there who still want me cherish true friendships. So that is encouraging. I honestly wondered if I would be on my own in this opinion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No you are not on your own, true friendships are hard to find, yes, but it is such a blessing to have good friends.
To enjoy a good friendship we have to remember to be one to them too and invest in their lives too. I don’t make close friends easily and have always struggled on that front. But I do try to be open and yet do not force it to be something it is never going to be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very good point! A lot of people these days do not want to make the effort to be a good friend. On the other hand, I have also learned that as Christians it is sometimes better to be excluded. Perhaps it means we are not living like the world lives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent post Bridget. I’ve been very blessed to have several close friendships. It can be very difficult to find those friends, so when I do I definitely cherish them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does seem harder to find them these days, sadly. However, I do believe this, in turn, keeps us from taking the good ones for granted. Thank you for commenting! I have found that a lot of people have resonated with this post. So that tells me there are many us out there who have similar feelings in this regard.
LikeLiked by 1 person