The Gift of a Friend

When I was first navigating adult friendship, I mistook having lots of friends for having quality connection. It wasn’t until I found myself with a phone full of contact numbers but no one I felt I could actually count on that I realized my mistake. I wanted the type of sisterly friendship described in Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times, and a [sister] is born for adversity” (ESV).

I didn’t need to have twenty close friends, but I did desire one or two women who would stick by my side in good times and in inconvenient, rough times.

That is the type of friendship Jesus provides for us—a safe place to be loved as we are but also to be challenged to become more like Him. Knowing how Jesus invites us in and loves us is a great way to discern the gift of a trusted friend. Or remember this wisdom from Proverbs 18:24: “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (NIV).

Friends who stick close may seem rare and hard to find. Pray and ask God today to reveal women you can reach out to and invite into an authentic friendship.

Pray

“God, please provide the gift of a friend whom I can share life with. Help me discern who this person might be and be open-minded about the people you place in my life. Thank you, Jesus, for being the perfect friend.”