Friendship is a gift from God. Friends mattered to Jesus. Jesus has called us his friends. He is indeed a friend born for adversity who sticks closer than a brother.

Are you a good friend? I hope so. Good friends are one of the greatest gifts of my life. In fact, friendships are one of the greatest gifts of God’s creation. God designed and created us to be in relationships. Most of the time when people speak of relationships, they are talking about romantic relationships.

But, God created us not only for romance, but for bromance and all sorts of other friendships and relationships. In some ways, being a friend is just being you and being available. In other ways, friendship is active–you can be a friend by doing something for those whom you love. You need friends and your friends need you. Today, be a friend to someone who needs it.

Here are a few things you can do today to be a friend.

• Be a good influence. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” Be good company for someone you know today. Be the kind of person who doesn’t gossip or slander. Make a positive influence.
• Forgive someone. Friends do not let offenses get in the way of their relationships. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Is there someone you need to forgive? Do it today. Don’t wait.
• Be present. Do you have a friend going through a hard time? Maybe their marriage is in shambles or they have sick family members. Remember Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has not one to help them up.” Pick someone up today.

Read More