How many people would you say are your true friends? Usually we only have a few people in our inner circle. These are the people who we’re close to, who we trust, and who we can be open with. We need to be wise when it comes to who we allow into that circle. It really hurts when we discover that not everyone has our best interests at heart. So we must learn to be discerning, and know on what level to interact with people. A great biblical example of this can be found when we look at the lives of David and Jonathan. They became good friends quickly. The Bible tells us that ‘after David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them.’ When David was out of favour with King Saul, Jonathan kept David’s secrets and protected him, even when faced with displeasing his own family. Jonathan wasn’t seeking to advance himself through his relationship with David. He was a true friend. If someone’s a gossiper, they automatically disqualify themselves as a good person to have in our inner circle of friends. We need to be able to trust that we can speak to people in confidence so that we can express ourselves and get wise advice. True friends really care about us, and don’t bring up our past mistakes to manipulate us. The Bible warns us: ‘One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother’ (Proverbs 18:24 NIV). If we have close friends like this, we need to appreciate them and thank God for them. 

What Now?

Do you have a true friend in your life? Arrange to meet up with them or chat to them on the phone, and tell them how much their friendship means to you.