What Being A Friend Means

  Being a friend can be one of the best things in the world, however it can also be one of the hardest jobs in the world. There are numerous parts behind being a friend:

1.     Being a good listener

It is so easy to spend the whole time on a lunch or dinner date with a friend talking about yourself. However, part of being a friend means that you stop talking and listen to what burdens them or what is on their heart. During this time it allows you to soak up what they are saying and give them a listening ear that is willing to hear what they have to say.

Listening also lets them get everything they need to off of their chest and tell someone they trust about what is going on in their life. It is important that during this time you are engaged and do not try to present a solution for every hard situation.. because there are not always a solution that you can make. However, I have been in lunch date conversations where I know I need to say something but have no idea what to say that is full of wisdom and understanding. That is when I pray during the lunch for God to grant me wisdom and understanding where I do not have it.

2. Doing things they like to do

Spend time doing things that you both like to do and things that you are both good at. This allows you to do new things that you might not have tried before. It also gives them the opportunity to do things that you like to do and may not have done before.

3. Don’t be scared to tell the truth

One of the hardest parts of being a friend is when it comes to telling the truth. Say one of your friends is going down the wrong path, as their friend it is your responsibility to bring to their attention the things that are not according to God’s plan (as nicely as you can, do not go in angrily or judgmentally). It is your job to do this because of the love that you have for them and the desire for them to accell and not to experience the hurts that my be ahead.

4. Be loyal and forgive

Everyone messes up. Even your truest and best friends will mess up. But when this happens we are called to forgive them and to give them a fresh start.

This is a two sided relationship though and you have to be loyal. Do not talk bad about them behind their back or tell others the secrets they share with only you.

5. Want the best for them

Part of being a friend is loving the people around you. When you love someone, you want them to succeed and excel in whatever they do. In order to be a true friend, you should want the best for them and for things to go good for them.

6. Don’t let your own stuff get in the way

Life gets busy and schedules get complicated, but try your hardest to not let your stuff get in the way of date nights with your girlfriends or a phone call every week with your accountability partner.

7. When you get a boyfriend, do not ditch your friends

We always see this in the movies. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love and ditch all of their friends. In the middle of the movie something goes wrong in the relationship and the boy and girl try to go back to their friends but have none left. Always remember the friends who have your back and who are their to support you. Yes, they want whats best for you. However, you have to spend time with them and show them attention too. Do not devote all of your time to your new boyfriend. Plus every girl needs girl time right?

8.  Cry when they cry and laugh when they laugh

Part of being a friend is being their in the moments when it is time to laugh and enjoy the happy times. This is when it is the funnest to be a friend and the memories that come with it.

It is also part of being of friend to be their for your friend when she is crying and hurting. It’s the friends job to lend a shoulder to cry on and to cry with them. This forms a bond that is very hard to be destroyed.

9. Do not be needy

Understand that there are other people in your friends life too and they are allowed to hangout with them too. It is not wrong to hang out with different people and to go out with other people. Which means that you can do other things with other people too!! However, do not forget about your friend and make sure to set up a time for just the two of you. Or go out with a group of friends together!

10. Have fun

Have fun with your friendship. Do crazy things together and remember the fun things you do. Take pictures and make memories.

Written by: Lily