SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

FRIENDSHIP

 

(Prov 18.24).... A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 17:17.... A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

Proverbs 27:17.... Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend

Proverbs 27:6.... Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful

Proverbs 27:9.... Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel

Proverbs 18:24.... A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother

Proverbs 22: 24.... Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go

John 15: 13.... Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

John 15: 14.... Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

 

We know for ourselves that when we have a good friend, we don’t want them to suffer alone when we are just a phone call away. We want them to call us and share their sorrows with us, as well as their joys, because this is what sharing a life through friendship is about. It is at our lowest points that we really need to rely on our friends without worrying that we are a burden.

If you are feeling self-conscious about having a tough time, you can bring this fact into the conversation by acknowledging it.

Chances are your friend will reassure you that she is happy to be there for you. In fact, rather than feeling taxed, most of us feel better when we have helped a friend simply by listening empathically while they share their feelings.

Without our friends, we would be hard pressed to get through the tough times and celebrate the good ones. If we leave our friends out of our process when the going gets tough, our friendships can begin to feel shallow.

On the other hand, when we include our friends in the full story of our life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—we build authentic relationships in which we can be who we truly are. When we do this, we invite our friends to bring their whole selves to the relationship as well.

 

 

 

What is a friend?

I'll tell you.

A friend is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.
Your soul can go naked with him.

He asks you to put on nothing, only to be who you really are.
When you are with him you don't have to be on your guard.
You can say what you think, so long as it is genuinely you.

He understands those contradictions in your nature that cause others to misjudge you.

With him you breathe freely.
You can avow your little vanities and envies and absurdities and, in opening them up to him, they are dissolved in the vast ocean of his loyalty.

He understands.
You can weep with him, laugh with him, pray with him.
Through and underneath it all he sees, knows, and loves you.

A Friend, I repeat, is one with whom you dare to be yourself.
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