Discerning Your Friends

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When God said in the Bible that it is not good for man to be alone in regards to finding an equally-yolked mate, let us not forget that the Bible also speaks of the importance of having righteous friendships. We all have people that come into our lives, either for a temporary period or for the long term, but how many of these people were or are our true friends?

The Bible clearly states that a true friend is a person that does not lead you to wickedness, but lifts you up continuously and keeps you on the righteous path.

The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them. Proverbs 12:26

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

As simple as these instructions from the Bible on friendship may sound to some of us, many of us unfortunately have failed or at one time in our lives have failed to follow these simple instructions from the Bible because majority if not all of us have been in destructive friendships that have led us away from righteousness, sometimes even unknowingly.

Your true friends are friends that are righteous and keep you righteous. A true friend is giving, understanding, loyal, honest and wants only the best for you as you would want for them. And more importantly, a true friend will tell you the Truth. A true friend will not tell you lies just to "protect your feelings," but a true friend will tell you the Truth to save you. For example - if you were an alcoholic and your friend knew that your behavior was harming you, if your friend was a true friend, they would speak their concerns about your behavior. You may not like what they have to say at that time and it may even make you angry with what your friend has to say, but in the long run, you will more-than-likely be glad and thankful that your friend expressed their concerns because your friend could have been the one to save your life.

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

So if you have a true friend, count your blessings because true friends are very hard to find. We may have many associates, but very few that we can truly call a friend. And if you have a true friend, always keep each other in prayer so that God can keep your bond tight in righteousness. Just as God should always be in the center of a marriage, keep God in the center of your friendships too!