In any case, I decided that MY view of friendship didn't really matter. It is what God says about it that matters. So since I'm in the market for a few new friends, I figured it would be good to find out how God wants me to behave with the people He puts in my life.

I think the most obvious verse that came to mind was Proverbs 17:17a. "A friend loves at all times..." Of course, that begs the question, "how does a person truly love"? Well, the answer can be found in another obvious passage. I Corinthians 13:4-8 gives these instructions about love:

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
It does not envy.
It does not boast.
It is not proud.
It is not rude.
It is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects.
It always trusts.
It always hopes.
It always perseveres.
Love never fails.

That's quite a list, huh? We (I) need to remember that this list isn't conditional. It doesn't say, "Love is kind unless..." or "Love is patient until...". That's tough, huh? When people hurt me, my first instinct is to hurt back. I don't want to be kind. I don't want to forgive. I don't even want to hope anymore! But I'm commanded to do those things.

The greatest example of a true friend is, of course, Jesus himself. When his friends betrayed him and denied him, he didn't turn his back on them. He showed true love. He wasn't easily angered, he didn't keep a record of wrongs. His love never failed. What an encouragement that is to me. Even now, when nearly all of my friends have either betrayed me or denied me (or both), I need to do the right thing, and continue to love them. That is what God expects of me.

I've only skimmed the surface on what it means to be a friend. But just from the small amount of study I've done, I've come to the conclusion that we as humans fail miserably at being good friends. I'm going to work hard at being the kind of friend that God is to me.