Bible Advice for Friendship

Throughout man's history, only one man has been called a friend by God himself. God refers to Abraham as his friend in Isaiah 41:8. A privilege no one else has been accorded before or since. Given God's predisposition of forgiving all man's sins, however, it is possible God has awarded this friendship to many more, only we are not sure whom. Can you be friends with God? You can be sure that, if you possess or acquire the characteristics of Abraham, God will offer his hand in friendship to you. After all, who is a friend? A friend is someone who stands by you in your times of travail. If you think about it, you might recall many friends who have helped you in your life. God can be your friend too!

Were you to have same qualities as Abraham, you would be blessed with worthy friends. Obedience was Abraham's hallmark. His blind obedience to God is unparalleled. He never even thought of asking God why He wanted him to kill his son. He was unselfish and a man of piece.

What does Bible say about friendship? A bond of friendship between David and Jonathan, the son of the King Saul unfolds in I Samuel 18:1. Jonathan's love for David was without bounds. He loved David even as he loved his own self. Proverbs 12:26 defines a true friend as one who gives good advice to you when you show signs of going astray unlike the wicked who would egg you on to more and more harmful ways. Proverb even stresses the point that the advice thus given is Godly. You can learn more about the Bible Verses about Friendship here.

Bible admonishes gossip. In Proverb 16:28, it warns against having a gossip monger for a friend. It foresees only separation. Friends who are faithful are compared to a treasure. It goes as far as to say that a friend who is faithful is even closer than a brother. It re-emphasizes the same point in Proverb 18:24. Proverbs 20:6 talks about how true and reliable friends are difficult to find. Only someone with sagacity will be able to find a truly reliable friend.

Anger is something the Bible shuns. There are numerous passages that explain the ill-effects of anger, on the one who feels anger and the one who is the recipient of that anger. It curses both of them unlike blessing which, as Shakespeare testifies in his Merchant of Venice, benefits both the giver and the receiver.

Remember, that you need God's strength granted to you to seek out a true friend and to sustain the friendship. Find this strength at these Strength Bible Scriptures available online.