Do you know you reflect your friends and they reflect you? Your friends reflect who you are and their character reveals the unspoken details of your life. Have you ever examined who your friends were and whether they were to be trusted? The quality of your life depends on the quality of your friendships. Be careful who you call your friends and how you choose them. As you read further, you will discover the nature of trusted friends which will help you reconsider your relationships.

Characteristics of Friends

Friends are meant to be:

Dependable: We can rely on our dependable friends to follow through on commitments and be consistent in different areas of our lives, including our relationships. This reinforces trust and stability.

Trustworthy: We all need people we call trustworthy friends to communicate all situations freely and in confidence.

Supporting: What strength we derive from supporting friends! We all need our friends to support us emotionally, mentally and physically in times of difficulty.

Loyal: Loyal friends are always there regardless of the difficulties that confront the relationship. Proverbs 17:17

Respectful: Friends provide mutual respect to each other and accept each other as they are, giving room for uniqueness, growth and development.

Growth Encouraging: A true friend wants you to grow and succeed. They will encourage you to take on challenges, develop new skills, and become the best version of yourself without jealousy or resentment.

Good communicators: Open and honest communication keeps our friendships healthy. This requires sharing our thoughts, feelings and being willing to resolve conflicts rather than letting them fester.

What would you invest to discover these characteristics in your friends? – Find out here.

The Influence of Friends

Friends influence our lives in diverse ways. Ponder over these influences and reconsider if you are in a healthy relationship. Friends promote…

Emotional Well-Being. We’re better off in the company of friends during challenging times than alone. Friends provide a source of comfort and stability during these times. The safe space friends provide to express our emotions helps us process stress and sadness, thereby promoting emotional well-being and resilience.

Confidence and Self-Esteem. Good friends remind us of our strengths and worth, which reinforces our confidence and self-esteem. Good friends encourage us to reach the best versions of ourselves, stand by us and provide the boost we need to pursue our goals with more self-assurance.

Sense of Belonging. Friendships fulfill our basic human need by providing a sense of belonging and connection. Friendships bring us into this community of relations where we find common values and interests that improve our happiness and bring us to a place of fulfilment in life. Ever felt or feeling lonely, try to give yourself a chance with committed friendships.

Positive Behavioral Influence. Our behaviours are shaped in the presence of positive-minded and deep-thinking friends who see life from different perspectives and provide room for everyone to thrive. We often reflect our close friends’ behaviours, so having positive influencing friends around us encourages healthier lifestyle choices.

Personal Growth and Learning. We learn from our friends, and collectively, from faithful people who inspire our lives. We set goals together to attain heights that our efforts hitherto would not take us. We continue learning even in our differences as friends towards self-development, to progress in different aspects of our lives.

Conflict Resolution Skills: Friends based on some differences experience challenging times that plunge them into conflicts. The strength of these friendships is determined by the ability of both parties to manage their differences and resolve conflicts. These processes of resolving conflicts arm us with conflict resolution skills which are invaluable across different stages of life. The Bible reminds us in (Psalm 133:1), ‘How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity’. Here are examples to emulate in friendship.

Examples of Trusted Friends

Practical examples of friends encourage us to understand that real friendships exist and can be cultivated. Have you gotten to the point in your friendships where you are almost giving up everything? Are you disrespected and criticized about your decisions in friendships but you remain resolute? Be encouraged by the following examples.

1. David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. These were friends who were committed even till death, passing on to their generations unborn. What foresight do you have about your friendships? Are your friendships for the pleasures of now or full of foresight for the greatness ahead, that requires unity to attain? These friends had foresight and you equally need foresight in your friendships. Foresight will guide your resolve to stand by your friends irrespective of the circumstances. Foresight will keep you striving together till your envisioned goal is achieved. You can only strive together if you engage the characteristics of friends we have discussed above. Be loyal as David and Jonathan were.
2. Jesus and His Disciples in John 15:15. Jesus demonstrated openness and a strong relationship with his friends. They went through the good and bad times and won victories together. Even moments of betrayals were resolved and overlooked for the greater purpose of the friendship. Maybe it’s time to reconsider your friendships. Do your friendships go through the twists and turns of life, yet remaining an ever-flourishing relationship? If you don’t have such yet, be assured, it is possible. Do you wish to have this kind of friend and friendship, where nothing stops your continuous growth and positive influence on each other? Connect to the bestie ever, J-E-S-U-S, who will connect you to His besties.
3. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader, and Mahalia Jackson was a gospel singer known as the “Queen of Gospel”. Jackson provided support and inspiration to King during the civil rights movement. She famously urged him to “tell them about the dream” during his “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington. Her powerful voice and support inspired and uplifted King and many others in their fight for equality. What a friendship that not only transformed both lives but left a lasting impact on society!

Conclusion

Friendships are an integral part of our lives and when harnessed, will bring great possibilities and take us to places where we never envisioned all by ourselves. Deliberately invest in your friendships for the greater good.