"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:

and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

(Proverbs 18:24, KJV)

​

Have you ever had a good friend? If you have or still do, the one thing you will notice about them is the way they love you. They are there through thick and thin, no matter what the problem or circumstances. They are even there to sow wisdom into you. And they are also there to hold you accountable, so that you grow into the person God predestined you to be. Proverbs 24:26, (NIV) reminds us, "An honest answer is the sign of true friendship.” 

 

One of the most fascinating things that I have noticed about a good friend, is that you just look up 30 years later, and they are still there. I have come to the conclusion that God must have performed a miracle because not too many people can tolerate us for that long, while loving us through our messes and our victories.

 

I truly believe that good friendships are divinely orchestrated. We can't possibly know when we meet someone who is just passing through our lives, and who is meant to endure the test and trials with us.  Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) states, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” 

 

I have three amazing best friends, one I met when I was 9 years old, another at 17, and the other I met at 37. These women have loved me with an unconditional love, even when I didn't or couldn't love myself and sometimes them.

 

Friendship is so important that it deserves the utmost value. Not everyone we meet is the one that will remain in our lives. And not everyone has the capacity to love us so sweetly and authentically. In a mating relationship, it is the friendship stage that should lead you into becoming a couple/mates. This can only happed if the relationship and the people in the relationship are valued, together you become the good friends that both of you need and can also enjoy. Just remember, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart” (Proverbs 27:19, NIV). 

 

The heart of a friend is a prized possession, just protect it with all of your heart.