We need good friends

Our happiness and proper functioning as people depends on us having others that we can meet who who we feel we can relate with. We are not meant to be alone.

For people who are not socially confident, or who have been wounded by past friendships or relationships, it can be hard to break through the fear of getting hurt again, and reach out to make friends. It is wise to be emotionally guarded when making friends. However, we cannot always protect ourselves from getting hurt. In the end, even good, long standing friends can betray us, use us or badly let us down in other ways.

In friendship, it is important to be realistic. People are not like God, and in their imperfection, they are bound to let us down in some way. We should expect this, and be cautious about how much we trust others, particularly at first. If we have lower expectations, we are less likely to be disappointed. We must place God as our security, so that if and when we are let down, we do not loose heart or become despondent in life.

We need to understand what friendship is really about. Good friendship is not selfish or exclusive. Many people have friends as mere extensions of their own selfishness. They need friends to fill time, to amuse themselves and to feed a type of self idolatry. However, such people live in sin by abusing the gift of friendship. Friendship is two-sided and mutual. It should also look to the needs of others, and welcome, those outside a friendship group in. Selfish friendship tends to be exclusive, existing within an established social group and selfishly not allowing others to participate.

So the people we are friends with now do affect us, and our lives, remember how important friends can be. I'm glad I have good friends;-)