I’d be remiss to talk about friendship and not ask you to examine what kind of friend you are. Are you in a friendship only for what they give you, or do you give back equally? In other words, are you an asset in their life or a liability?

Family are the people in our lives that should always be there. But Proverbs 18:24 mentions a friend that is closer than a brother. If you have ever had a friendship like that, you know what is meant by that statement. This type of friend is totally committed, practically speaking, like in a marriage. These are the friends you can call at any hour, and they will be there for you. If you only make a few friends like that in a lifetime, they will be a treasure to be highly valued.

In most relationships, people seldom push past the point of inconvenience. One obvious reason for this is that we cannot be everything to everybody. The numbers simply cannot be sustained. These people may even change in our lifetime as the seasons of life change. People move. They start families. Things change. It is all part of life.

Do not be mad at these friends when things do change. They can still be a friend, but things may not be exactly the same as they once were. Adapt to whatever form the friendship takes on. In the meantime, interact with others who are close to you. Observe how you treat them.

When you are determined to be an asset to whomever you befriend, it should not take them long to notice. If they do not seem to mirror your actions and behavior, they likely will not be a “friend closer than family”. While relationships do take work, it should not be all one sided. If a person simply does not put much effort into the friendship, then decide upfront how much energy you wish to put into it. It should all be very fluid. As they say, “go with the flow.”

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