Good Friendships Make Life More Joyful!

Friendships! NeedEncouagement.comPlease contact us if you have questions or if you need some encouragement.

Friendships are truly a blessing in life. If you have five solid friendships, count yourself lucky because that means you have been blessed with a lot! However, we must remember that friendships are the hardest ships to sail, but they are worth it. It takes effort and continuous dedication to maintain them. But when done right, friendship is one of the most valuable things in life – first with God and second with people in your life.

Yes, there can be times when friendships can be tough to navigate. But through thick and thin, true friends will stay by your side always! Having friends takes much more interest in the other person than in yourself; it’s about being selfless and putting others’ needs before yours. Friendship is not selfish or controlling; instead, it’s all about giving love and forgiveness while trusting each other fully and understanding their perspectives without judgment. So cherish your friendships like precious gems because they are indeed rare finds! ~ Bill Greguska

John 15:13-15  “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

 

 

 

Easy Ways How To Make Friendships Stronger!

 

What Are Real Friendships?Real friendships are not superficial by any means... NeedEncouagement.com

We all need friendships, whether or not we will put in the energy it takes to build solid friendships. If we think that If you believe that friendships will grow naturally, there is some truth to that, but in reality, it takes time, effort, energy, sacrifice, patience, and love to make friendships thrive!

I have noticed in my life that when I nurture a friendship by giving the other person respect, their time and space, and focusing on their interests more than dumping my problems on them or being less self-centered. Those relationships tend to go better, last longer, and become stronger. Are you ready to build strong friendships? Then you can just read more about how-to below. ~ Bill Greguska

 

 

 

 

 

Here Are Some Helpful Links:

What Is A Friend And How To Keep Them!

 

 

Friendships Are Truly A Blessing!

Having five solid ones is something to be grateful for. It’s important to remember that friendships can be the hardest ships to sail, but they are worth it. The value of friendship cannot be understated – it’s one of the most valuable things in life. And not just any kind of friendship – first with God and second with people in your life.

There may be challenges along the way, moments when you feel like giving up or walking away from a friend. But don’t forget that true friendship requires selflessness, generosity, forgiveness and trust. It involves being there for someone no matter what and putting their needs before your own at times. So cherish those five friends who have stood by you through thick and thin because good friendships are rare treasures that should never go unappreciated!

 

 

 

 

Friendships Are So Very Valuable!

Your most valuable asset, second only to your friendship with God, is your relationships with people. Discover how to choose friends, the building blocks of friendship, and how to rebuild friendships.

 

 

Unwise Friendships

  1. The Gossip. “One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a gossip” (Proverbs 20:19). One who slanders others will eventually gossip about you.
  2. The Quick-tempered. “Do not make friends with a person given to anger, or go with a hot-tempered person, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself” (22:24-25).
  3. The Disloyal and Discontent. “My son, fear the Lord and the king; do not get involved with those of high rank, for their disaster will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin that can come from both of them?” (24:21-22). Those with a rebellious spirit, especially toward authority, are often unstable and prone to anger.
  4. The Undisciplined. “He who keeps the Law is a discerning son, but he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father” (28:7). This refers not only to food but to any lust that is out of control.
  5. The Immoral. “A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but he who involves himself with prostitutes wastes his wealth” (29:3). An immoral person is a bad influence who drags us down into sin.
  6. The Fool. “One who walks with wise people will be wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm” (13:20). A fool is someone who rejects God and spiritual matters.

 

 

 

Building Blocks for Genuine Friendships

If we want a relationship to develop and endure, we must use the proper building materials. These building blocks convey a love for our friends when they are put together.

  • Time. No relationship will flourish without investing our time in a friend’s life.
  • Talk. Every friendship is founded upon two-way communication.
  • Tears and laughter. A genuinely open relationship requires sharing of both our joys and sorrows.
  • Triumphs. We must be willing to share each other’s accomplishments, victories, and all that the Lord is doing in our lives.
  • Trials and tragedies. Difficulties hurts, hardships, sorrows, and disappointments are part of life; we need each other to share the burdens.
  • Thankfulness. We must thank our friends for their companionship and the Lord for blessing us with such a good relationship.
  • Thoughtfulness. Being thoughtful requires thinking about how we can help the other person. Our love and care can manifest in various ways, depending on our friend’s needs or circumstances.
  • Tolerance. Being a genuine friend requires tolerance of the other person. We need the patience to overlook annoying habits or ugly attitudes.
  • Touch. A godly touch is a beautiful way to convey our love, tenderness, and care for a friend.
  • Transparency. We must be willing, honest, and open to building an intimate friendship. Instead of trying to hide our weaknesses and faults, we should freely share our struggles with our friends.
  • Truthfulness. Without a foundation of truth, we cannot build a relationship. We must be honest with ourselves and each other.

 

Behaviors That Damage Friendships

  • Selfishness. Always focusing on ourselves and our needs will eventually ruin a friendship.
  • Manipulation. We should never use or try to control a friend for our ends.
  • Jealousy. Trying to limit the other person’s friendships jealously will smother the relationship.
  • Criticism. If we continually look for shortcomings and find fault with our friends, we’ll drive them away. Plus, criticism causes us pain because we don’t want to hurt our friends with the critique. Major issues should be addressed, but we can let minor ones pass.
  • Explosive temper. Pent-up anger that explodes in rage can do irreparable damage to a relationship.
  • Covetousness. To envy what someone else has is the opposite of focusing on what’s best for them.
  • Disloyalty. Unfaithfulness is not only painful and disheartening, but it breaks apart relationships.
  • Dishonesty. Lies destroy trust. If we’ve been dishonest, we need to admit it and seek our friend’s forgiveness.
  • Busyness. The relationship will wither if we are too busy to spend time with friends.

 

 

 

 

Repairing Damaged Friendships

If you have a relationship in trouble but worth rescuing, you must be willing to take steps to make it right.

  • Address it. Tell your friend you want to work on the friendship.
  • Determine what went wrong. How did the relationship get off track?
  • Apologize. Take responsibility for whatever you may have done to damage the friendship.
  • Refuse to blame and don’t defend yourself. The goal is to save the relationship, not to prove who’s right.
  • Ask what you can do to repair the relationship. This opens the door for suggestions from the other person.
  • Commit to change. Promise to make the changes required to be faithful and carry out your commitment.

 

 

 

 

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Am I projecting on my friend something that happened in my past?
  • Am I afraid to have a close relationship with anybody?
  • Do I have unrealistic expectations of this relationship?
  • Are any feelings of rejection due to this person’s actions or poor self-image?

Damaged friendships can be repaired if you make the necessary corrections. With the Lord’s guidance, ask your friend how you are doing and what you can do to improve.

From Charles Stanley Intouch.org

 

 

 

Thoughts To Consider About Building Strong Friendships.

  1. How do you encourage your friend when they are sad or depressed?
  2. Do you try to listen twice as much as you talk?
  3. Would you be willing to cancel or change your plans if your friend needed your help?
  4. Do you keep your friendships healthy by having a good sense of humor?
  5. Do you give an honest, loving answer when a sensitive question is asked?
  6. Realize that friendships can be hard to be in sometimes.

 

 

Friendships Can Be Tricky, So Build Bridges, Not Walls!

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17 NeedEncouagement.com

Make new friendships, keep the old. The new ones are silver, and the old ones are gold!

  1. Understanding the other person’s point of view; is critical to have better friendships.
  2. Arguments are usually less productive. But instead, discussions are. James 4:1-2
  3. Respect other people’s opinions even if you disagree with them.
  4. If you find out you’re mistaken, humbly admit it immediately.
  5. Get people on your side by finding common bonds.
  6. Never argue about religion, share your thoughts, and respect others.
  7. Give other people credit for something said or done right.
  8. Try to be more sympathetic to others’ feelings and ideas
  9. Attempt to find a thing in common and be open to differences.
  10. Ask others what their opinion is.

 

 

 

 

Some Specific Scriptures To Encourage You:

Proverbs 18:24 ESV 

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:17 ESV 

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV 

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Proverbs 17:17 ESV 

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 27:9 ESV 

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

John 15:13 ESV 

Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Job 6:14 ESV

“He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

Proverbs 27:6 ESV 

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV 

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Proverbs 22:24-25 ESV 

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

Proverbs 12:26 ESV 

One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 17:9 ESV 

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

James 4:4 ESV 

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Proverbs 13:20 ESV 

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ESV

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

 

 

 

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