Definition of a Good Friend by Lisa Mick

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.  (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Today I felt a calling to write about friends.  We all have different types.  The kind of friend I wanted to talk about today is a great friend.  I feel it is an encourager and listener to your needs and wants.   A great friend is continually building the other friend up, just as the verse above states.

So I asked my friends on facebook™ what a great friend meant to them.   Let me share the answers I received.  “A great friend is irreplaceable and indescribable.” Let’s look up the definition of those two fancy words.  Irreplaceable means “unique,” and indescribable means “too extraordinary for description.” Those are some pretty sweet words to say about your friend.  Do you have a friend like this?

Another friend said that “a great friend listens, is loyal and doesn’t judge.”  I agree.   The meaning of listen is “to hear something with thoughtful attention.”  Ladies, “thoughtful attention;” are you hearing this?  Most of us desire this type of attention from our girlfriends.  Loyal means “unswerving allegiance” and that is hard to find.  If you have this type of friend, keep her by all means.  Also “don’t judge” is listed.  There is a rightful judgment we are supposed to exercise with careful discernment.  This is where prayer comes in.  Praying for wisdom and discernment from our Heavenly Father is something that I can’t stress enough.  It is important, my friends.

 Other responses I received were:

1.  One who knows all my shortcomings and loves me anyway.

2.  One who is with you thru “thick and thin” and loves you anyway.

3.  One who will stick closer to a brother.

4.  One who will be a sharpening force in my life just like Jesus.

5.  A good friend desires the best for you.

6.  A good friend is someone who loves you and is truly loyal.

7.  A great friend is someone who you can trust, laugh and pray with.

8.  A great friend is a gift from God.

It warms my heart today as I read what is important to women where their friends are concerned.  My hope and prayer is that you will see where you are lacking in these areas.  Please turn these places over to the Lord to heal and ask Him to let you be these things to your friends.  It is work, but we must do it to hold onto the friends God has been so gracious to give us.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.  (Proverbs 17:17)

As I reflect back on these friendship definitions, one sticks out the most to me. “A good friend desires the best for me.”  Hallelujah!  My great friend is Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  He is everything listed above and I never have to lose Him.  NEVER

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:38-39)