Friendship is a reality of the Bible that shouldn’t be overlooked or misplaced. Christ had some of his closest apostles, like Peter and John, with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. They heard his voice on Sermon on the Mount, and they transfixed their gaze on his body at the Transfiguration. Not that others didn’t, but some of his closest confidants were the ones that witnessed many of His more miraculous and intimate moments. They were a part of His inner circle among the disciples.

What moments have your closest friends been there for you in? Was it the birth of your first baby, or the time you lost your father? Was it the time you realized you needed a Savior, and took hold of the gift of Christ?

Getting To Know You

The beauty of friendship and those few closest to you, is that they have also witnessed your greatest and most fragile moments in your own life. It’s not that popularity can hinder that, because one can know 100 people, and still only be true friends with three of them. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). It’s just that not building upon at least a few of those 100 people is where the loneliness can walk in.

For one, someone may see just how “popular” you are, and therefore may feel you’re too busy for them. They talk to you and try to get to know you, but if you keep conversations on the surface, they realize their needs of a deeper relationship for friendship can’t be met with you. That’s not a bad thing, but it can hinder you from building long-lasting, deep connections versus shallow, one-dimensional acquaintances.

Count On Me

We all know the story of Job, and in a way, we may desire the friends he had, who uplifted him and prayed for him. “When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him” (Job 2:11).

Popularity is only a dangerous thing when you find yourself in your room, wondering who you can call or depend on besides family. Is there anyone that you would call to keep you accountable, to hear uplifting words from, or to get help from when you’re stuck in a bad situation? “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:10) If not, then you may want to find ways to dig deeper with people you can confide in. Find like-minded people who will speak truth into your life.

We desire friends, and that’s a pure desire, because it originates in God. We desire the vulnerable nature shared between friends, especially during the most trying times in our lives. “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend” (Job 16:20-21). The beauty that comes with friendship is the strength that comes from their words of encouragement, their giving kindness and their prayers as they lift you up before God.

You may also be interested in How Being Vulnerable With Your Friends Can Set You Free