Has there ever been a time when you thought you didn’t have a single one?
Not one friend?
I hope not.
Friends are parts of lives and there are studies that report that having good friends, not the countless followers online but real, connected, true friends, can lead to a longer life. It makes sense. A friend is someone who can share your joy as well as help carry your burden or share your sorrow.
When I was little, I had my neighborhood friends who rode tricycles, and later bikes with me around the blocks of small, neat homes. We explored together, bought Cokes when we had the nickel and the elusive penny we needed to put in the machine at the lumber store, and peered in the neighbor’s goldfish pond with big lotus plant leaves and mysterious murky depths.
We moved when I was seven, and lo and behold, there were lots of kids in this neighborhood, too—-and fields, and two cemeteries we could explore with tall, serene angels and little lamb tombstones we played around. There were trees to climb and mysteries to solve.
These children became my extended family as my parents both worked full time and were away from home a good deal. Betty was hired to take care of the house and me. I loved her, and she had a great impact on me. I felt safe and loved with her and dutifully reported where I was all day long.
When I started second grade I found lots more friends at school, and had to decide who might not be such a good friend. Recess was a magical time away from books, stress, and tests and full of running, shouting, and playing.
Mama and daddy took me to church and there were some of my school friends as well as some new ones I didn’t know yet. We progressed through elementary, middle, and high school together. We went to the mission groups, choirs, and Sunday School classes together. We faced the conflicts and struggles of friendships that grew and changed with the years.
The Bible teaches us about the value of friendships and also about the dangers. We can be made better by a friend. Proverbs 27:17 teaches “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Having a true Christian friend is blessing in life! They can help make us better.
Conversely, an untrue friend can bring trouble: “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Proverbs 16:28.
John 15:13 says: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Who has laid down His life for us? Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
With Him as your eternal friend, saving friend, you will never be alone!
