The Bible says: ‘Friends come and…go, but a true friend sticks by you.’ So what’s the difference between a friend and a true friend? Friends can be there for you sometimes, but true friends help each other out, no matter what it costs. The Bible tells us that ‘two…are better off than one…they can help each other…If one…falls, the other can reach out…But someone who falls alone is in real trouble’ (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT). Do we have someone who reaches out to us when we’re struggling? Do we reach out to others? The Bible encourages us to carry each other’s burdens (have a look at Galatians 6:2). And when we ‘rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn’ (Romans 12:15 NIV) despite what’s happening in our own lives, we show that we’re putting others needs before our own. True friends also give each other advice when facing tough situations. The Bible says, ‘The sweetness of a…friend gives delight by hearty counsel’ (Proverbs 27:9 NKJV). A true friend will pray for us, and share any wisdom they’ve gained from experiences in their lives, just because they want to help us make the right decisions in our lives. But they will also hold us accountable. When we go off God’s path for us and start going our own way, we can think we’re doing the right thing. But our true friends can remind us that God knows best and show us where we’re going wrong. True friends love us enough to be honest even when it’s hard and can hurt for a while. So if we’ve got someone like this in our lives, we’ve found a true friend.
