What About Your Friends?!

It's natural that when experiencing difficulty in our lives, we turn to the people we may consider friends for a shoulder to lean on and/or a set of listening ears. It is the expectation that friends are honest (if seeking advice) but many times, its not advice that is being saught but more so a sounding board.

When friends come to me with their issues & concerns, heavily burdened with life's troubles, I do my best to make sure that I listen first & talk last, express concern and care with the words & tone that I use while being honest & showing compassion for their situation, always demonstrating love & support regardless of my personal opinions/thoughts. But most importantly, I remind them of the power of prayer & redirect them to consult with a Higher Power. I am ever mindful of the fact that sharing such an intimate part of their lives is not a requirement of our friendship yet I respect & honor that they trusted me enough to do so and wouldn't want to lose that trust.

With that being said, it's so important that we are careful in whom we seek counsel. Everyone is not a friend. Everyone does not have our best interests at heart. People will tell you to leave your marriage, end a relationship, quit a job or give directives that they themselves would not follow if given the same situation. People want to know all of your "stuff" while remaining secretive about their own. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that people can't be trusted. Nor am I saying don't have friends. What I am saying is that it's important to be careful about what details of your lives are shared with others.

A friend does not poke & pry or is overly concerned about the details of what is wrong in your life but is satisfied with just knowing that whatever the situation is, you are okay. A true friend is someone who allows you to be your most real self. Friends are non-judgmental. They are the people who come in when the rest of the world has gone out. As my niece says, "it's not about who's real in your face, it's about who's real behind your back". The word friend is not a common word that I use to describe people that I associate with but a word I use to describe a deep connection with people that I love & respect & who I believe in my heart have a mutual, genuine concern for me. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

At the end of the day, God is the source of our strength. He needs to be the one that we turn to because He already knows every intricate part of us, loving us unconditionally; as no one on this Earth can.

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;
Proverbs 22:17-19

It is good to have friends... But is there a greater friend than He?