What is a Friend?

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do what I command you.  No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.  John 15:13-15

A friend is someone who can be a source of comfort...In good times and in bad times.  In some cases, even better than that provided by a brother as the Bible tells us in Proverbs 18:24: A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A friend is someone who can be a source of good counsel; counsel that can "delight the heart" - Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend.
Proverbs 27:9

A friend who can be trusted to be a source of good counsel is certainly a blessing.  But having friends who are dependable is not always easy.

Here are 10 qualities a good friend should have:

• Honesty - Honesty is the best policy to keep a friendship alive. A real friend will always tell the truth and never lie.
• A good listener - You need a friend to share your problems with.
• Trustworthiness - You need to rely on your friend's word to keep confidential information between you and your friend.
•  Respect - It is not necessary he/she agrees with your points and can sometimes try to change your mind but he need always to respect you, even if he/she disagrees with you.
•  Making fun - A friend is not only valuable for your problems but you need someone to make fun with.
•  Good company - Your friend needs to be good company for enjoying your entertainment activity.
• Patience - It is possible you complain about certain issues which you can't share with someone else. Patience is an important quality your friend needs to help you through this process.
• Forgiveness - Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes they say things they don't mean. Forgiveness is important for maintaining your friendship.
•  Encouragement - Encouragement is a great quality every friend should have for helping each other through a difficult process.
•  Caring - A good friend will always care for you no matter which problem you have and will give you the necessary support to reach certain goals.

A real friend will possess these qualities and even more which can be important for you. If you reciprocate, there is little chance that your friendship will ever end. These qualities are important for a lifetime friendship which is what we all expect from a real friendship. If you have friends with these qualities, cherish them because these qualities of your friend are vital in your life.

One Tried and True Friend

You do have one friend for sure that has all of these qualities and so much more.  He loves you with a deep, everlasting love and is more devoted to you and your well-being than anyone else in your life.  He longs to have your friendship and love in return.  He is jealous for you and will never let you down or leave you.  Jesus gave us the definition of a true friend in John 15:13-15 then expressed it on Calvary.  He can be our closest friend if we respond to His love.  Jesus Christ is the ultimate friend because he died for us, "his friends," so we may have eternal life with God.

Scripture to Claim:
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:7-8