By Chris WittsSaturday 24 Aug 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
It’s a great thing in life to have friends. I have not met anyone yet who doesn’t want a friend. Sometimes I think it would be a lonely life indeed if we didn’t have a friend, the feeling of being all alone. So I want to ask this question and ask, what is the definition of a friend?
What is a friend? I think it’s someone that we can relate to. We can actually be ourselves with that person. We can be totally comfortable with them and share actually with that person our deepest emotions. So we might have particular fears or the aspirations we have in life, our problems and our dreams. And most importantly, I think a good friend can be counted on for support at all times. And isn’t this what you really want in a friend? That person, he or she is there for us, whenever we need that person.
What is a true friend?
So do you have someone like that in your life. Well, I certainly hope that you do. We all need friends. We want to have someone that can be relied on, with whom we can communicate. And isn’t it a big issue, this business of communication, someone who will be for us and perhaps give us the right guidance at the right time? Because there are times when we search for answers, maybe advice.
So many of the married couples that I know want to develop confidence and reliance on each other, but they fail because there’s just not the friendship within that marriage relationship.
Maybe you’ve heard the popular saying a friend in need is a friend indeed. But friendship has much more than that. It’s an integral part of human existence. True friendships can start instantly. Something sort of clicks between two people, but it takes time to develop.
A newspaper in England actually offered a reward for the best definition that someone, one of their readers, could come up about friendships. Well, thousands of people answered this, and here was the winning entry. A friend is one that comes when everyone else goes.
I think that’s a pretty good definition.
That friend, that person who accepts you as you are, doesn’t try to be somebody else. That person accepts you as you are. They’re patient with you when you make mistakes and even if you inadvertently hurt them, they’re there to forgive you. They’re dependable. You can trust that friend with the secrets that you have. And you know that he would not sort of then tell a third person about what you say and so that he or she sticks with you in the good times and the bad times.
And he can point you in the right direction. What about the honesty? I think it’s important that a good friend would be honest and loyal with you. It doesn’t break the promises that have been made. Makes you feel safe and secure. And actually, at times, that person, that friend, can be a critic. You’ll find many people will falsely appreciate you for ulterior motives. But we’re talking about a good friend who will tell you the truth, even if it’s something you don’t particularly want to hear or you may react to.
But deep down, I think, you know well that’s probably what I need to hear from my friend, that he or she can point out some mistakes, not publicly. But when we’re talking privately, that person can help me and then even perhaps show me how to overcome a particular issue. Well, listening is another important thing. That friend will listen to you, care about your needs and your emotions. That person will be there when you need to talk. And sometimes you’ve got news you might have good news or bad news, even that you want to share.
So what about through thick and thin, as we say. Good friends don’t call up people just because they need a favour from them. But that person would come to your aid in a time of crisis, giving you space, they can understand. Well, you’ve got family, maybe friends, other friends and colleagues that are part of your life, and that friend will not cling to you always. But there’s got to be that sense of being comfortable and keeping in touch. That person makes an effort to keep in touch with you.
You know, a phone call, an email, a letter, and that person can sometimes sort of judge that there’s something going on that we need a phone call and that fact that they won’t bad mouth you, you know that they’re not gonna talk behind your back. Someone that you can trust, someone that’s not gonna gossip about you.
Let’s Pray
Well, dear Lord, we all need friends like that. I pray that you’ll lead us to someone to be a good friend today, I pray it in the name of Jesus, Amen.