Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Soulful Serendipity

Home
Progressive Christian
Relationships and Religion
Nurturing Quality Friendships

Nurturing Quality Friendships

Last updated on: February 3, 2024 at 10:15 am by Elle Clark

Nurturing Quality Friendships 2024-02-03T10:15:15-08:00 Elle Clark

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Friendships

Nurturing Quality Friendships

In the tapestry of our lives, friendship is a fine thread that’s woven with care, mutual understanding, and empathy. Being a good listener is important to being a good friend. Finding friends in our shared religion helps us work toward a more relaxed and comfortable friendship.

Cultivating these friendships requires some important steps in our lives. We must first be a good listener to become a good friend. Friendships should be approached with compassion, love, and kindness in our lives.

Understanding the Sacred Nature of Friendship

Proverbs 27:17 declares, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This teaches us that a good friendship will help uplift us and reflect our shared experiences as well as support and wisdom.

We’re taught that we should be selective of our friends. We should choose those who reflect our views and who are representative of our beliefs. It’s not saying that we shouldn’t be kind and friendly toward those who don’t believe as we do, but rather, we should seek to establish strong bonds of friendship with those who believe as we do.

The Essence of Being a Good Friend

Good friends, in today’s era, are hard to come by. It sometimes seems that everyone is out for themselves. What are the qualities of a good friend? What do you seek when you’re looking for friends?

A good friendship goes beyond superficial gestures. Being a good friend requires a deep commitment to the core principles of your belief system. You’ll need to treat others as you want to be treated. Listening and keeping an open mind and an open heart are tantamount to being a good friend. You’ll want to avoid judgment and practice loving others.

We must strive to be open, honest, and humble ourselves, recognizing our imperfections. Don’t try to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye before removing the beam from your own eye. Matthew 7:3-5. Then, and only then, will you be of help to your friend.

Nurturing Spiritual Growth Through Friendship

When we are friends with those who believe as we do, we are growing spiritually. When we express our friendship through shared beliefs and actions, inspiring others, and treating others as we want to be treated, our friendships grow both spiritually and physically.

A good friend is supportive. A good friend isn’t hiding from the phone when we call. We celebrate both joy and sorrow together when we’re good friends.

In a world that is fraught with sorrow and sadness, let’s take the time to ensure that our friendships are glimmers of hope to others. Let’s express greater compassion, understanding, and connectivity. Let’s take the time to embody the essence of being a good friend through our empathy, unwavering support, and humility. Let’s not only honor our faith, but let’s illuminate our faith through our friendships.

General Christian

Family, Parenting and Religion

Healthy Relationships

Relationships

Spiritual

About Elle Clark

Elle is a Pastor’s Daughter and has been writing for over three decades. She writes about youth mentoring, addiction recovery, parenting, senior advocacy, gardening and sustainability, and an eclectic mix of other topics. She resides in Northeastern Washington with her husband and children. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

January 28, 2024

Does God Hear Your Prayers when You’re Not Practicing Faith?

Next Post

February 3, 2024 Navigating Mental Illness Through A Christian Lens

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Fixing Relationships Friendships Relationships Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Paul say in Philippians is far better?

Select your answer to see how you score.

To suffer for righteousness To serve others To depart and be with Christ To spread the gospel