The perfect friend (and Survey #2!!)

Hey guys,

Today, I am back with a second survey! Did i hear cheers? Or was that just my imagination? ;)

I asked a bunch of my friends and other people I know who have been involved with the blog over the years what character traits they value most in a friend. They in turn came back with some pretty insightful answers that I would like to share with everyone today!

Let’s get to it!

Willow:

-Humor (alot of it ;)

-patience

-Creativity

-The willingness to make themselves seem like a fool (wether for Jesus or to have a good time)

-the willingness to cry and except they're emotions

-determination

-boldness

Lauren:

the ability to make a situation lighter and humorous, knowing when to and not to speak, positivity, the ability to have serious but also fun conversations, and for the friend to never put you down in any way.

Courtney:

• Sensitivity, and the ability to underastnd the fact that I am sensitive in certain ways, especially when it comes to my guy friends, because they tend to not be aware of things I am sensitive about as much, so when they are I really value that

• Listening when i need to talk, because I usually am the one listening-which don’t get me wrong. There have been times where I haven’t had anyone to talk to, and

• Communication is key! This is probably my most valued trait, the ability to communicate well.

Ann:

I think that I've come to value honesty the most. Someone that can be honest to me without judgement and someone that I can be honest with without judgement is so freeing. I find that people that don't judge are also the best at speaking truth into my life in a loving way and giving me advice, or pointing me in the right direction to get advice.

Yaelle:

I would probably say honesty, , like not hiding things from me to make me feel better or to make me like them better. also willingness to talk about anything that needs to be talked about even if it's not enjoyable. idk if those are necessarily the most important but at least close

Mathias

Willingness to listen but doesn’t not talk, and when they do talk, they’re not harsh with their words, but they are still direct; I personally really value humor in a friend, but I recognize that everyone’s humor is different, but seeing people laugh brings me joy

Adam:

A desire to get to know me, trustworthiness and a willingness to trust me in return, and a desiring to follow Jesus with their whole life.

Can you imagine a friend that had all of these traits? And was always the perfect friend, always able to stay the same friend and maintain all of the things that you need/want in a friend? Maybe the friend you need is different than any of what was talked in these answers, in fact it probably is, but just imagine what the perfect friend who never fails would be for you.

No human could ever be exactly what we want/ need in a friend, because they themselves are human also. They will disappoint us, will hurt us or annoy us at some point, no matter how hard they try to be the perfect friend. The thing is, we often turn to our friends as our sole comfort and solace in times of trouble, or even to attempt fill this hole we feel like we have in our lives, to get rid of this loneliness that pretty much everyone feels. You may even go as far as I have personally, putting my identity in my relationships time and time again, and relying on my friends for EVERYTHING instead of God.

The thing is, I have been looking in the wrong place. My friends have disappointed me and hurt me, and every time, I can’t understand it and search for answers, finally deciding that maybe they just need to work on something in their life, that it’s their fault- but it isn’t. I’m asking or expecting something of them that they could never live up to. Only one person can live up to it, and that person is the perfect friend, Jesus Christ our savior and Lord, the best friend anyone could ever have.

You know what I find so amazing about all of these answers? They are all different, and although some things come back a few times, they are unique. Yet, Jesus is all of our “perfect friend” and is exactly what we need. Isn’t that so cool? I find that really awesome to think about! Guys, God is so awesome! He loves us all with a perfect love, a love that “never fails.” (1 Cor 13:8a) and loves us in the way He knows we need it. He is offering a perfect friendship to you here today, will you spend time with Him and rely on Him, will you let Him speak to you and show your heart what real, true love looks like? Will you be vulnerable and just talk to Him, confide in Him and let Him speak to your heart?

Please note that I am not saying that God is just here to be our friend, or that He is some sort of waiter that just serves up what we want on a silver platter- He doesn’t. He gives us what we need, and that’s the beauty of it. Also, we need human relationships, but we must look to Jesus to fulfill our needs first.

Today, let’s all strive together to depend on God as our best friend, who is perfect and loves us so much.

God bless,

Rose