Finding true friends in life and faith is very difficult. As someone who has struggled with friendships, I can empathize with others going through the same difficulties. It would be nice if you could talk to strangers at coffee shops and make friends, but friendships don’t always start easily. God did not create us to go through life alone, God wants us to have friends and relationships with others. Being alone in this world is scary and that’s why we need true friends in life and faith.
The concept of finding true friends is very difficult. As a child and teen, I remember my parents telling me that true friends are treasures and should never be taken for granted. Like me, my parents struggled to find true friends in life and faith. My late mother was always a fast talker and an efficient room tidyer. My mom was able to do this, so I was always surprised that she didn’t have many real friends of hers. Of my mother’s friends, only one she said was a true friend. This friend of my mother’s was her mother’s best friend and stayed by her mother’s side all through school. Although it is true that her mother and her friends lost touch after her mother married her father, their friendship remained in the forefront of their hearts. I never spoke personally to this close friend of hers until her mother passed away. Her friend told me about their adventures and how her mother was a loyal friend to her. Her only regret is that they lost contact many years ago.
Once we find our true friends, it is very important for us to keep them. We are never guaranteed when or how often these special friendships will arise and remain a part of our lives. Sometimes we don’t recognize a true friend until we lose it in life or faith. This is a sad reality and should encourage us to reflect on our lives and relationships with our friends. God intentionally places people in our lives, but in order to have true friends, we must become true friends ourselves. Being a true friend means caring, recognizing boundaries, and being supportive in every possible way. A true friend never hurts or degrades a friend. Rather, friends should lift each other up and help each other in their struggles. It can be hard to find true friends who stand by you on dark days as well as on sunny days, but they are treasures to protect and cherish.
I considered many people my true friends for life. But when they found out I struggled with anorexia, depression, and anxiety, everyone distanced themselves from me. Slowly, one by one, people stopped replying to my text messages. I was no longer invited to social gatherings. I’m not going to lie. It really hurt. These were my friends in life and faith, I thought they would be my best friends forever, but from the beginning I realized they weren’t really my friends.
real friends
A true friend doesn’t expect you to be happy all the time or impose unreasonable demands on you. Rather, true friends are with you in good times and bad. They don’t just stick around when things are going well. They will be there when you feel down, frustrated, or hurt. You know you have true friends in life and faith when you have friends who stand by you in difficult times. It takes more energy and dedication to be there for someone else’s struggles and difficulties. Unfortunately not everyone chooses to stay there. Instead, they decided to go back to their other friend having a sunny day and avoid that friend suffering from depression, mental health problems, or suicidal thoughts. If your “friends” do this to you, know that they are not real friends. These are fake friends who weren’t your friends in the first place.
If you’re like me, you may have felt lonely and hurt when you realized that most of your friends aren’t really your friends. Know that your emotions are valid and it’s okay to feel them. It’s okay to cry or go to God to pray, so you can’t have too much emotion. I remember going to God to pray the night I realized my “friends” weren’t my friends. I needed someone to talk to and care about, to encourage me in my walk with God, so I asked God to help me find a true friend. He led me to someone I had overlooked most of my life: my sister, who was already my best friend. Her sister has been with me through every difficult season, so in a way she is my natural best friend. You can talk to her about anything, including the hurt you’ve received from people you thought were her true friends. Perhaps once you have spoken to God, you will find that your true friends and faith for life were already there all along.
God will help you find the true friends you need, even if your true friends haven’t been there for a long time. These loyal friends will be with you through all the difficulties and will never leave you when things get complicated. Rather, they will be by your side, bringing you back to Christ and encouraging you every day. Go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you find true friends in life and faith. God is faithful and will guide you to the right person. It may take some time and the work will be done for you. But it’s well worth it, and you’ll have a loyal friend you can turn to when things get tough. It’s also important to always remember that God is your true friend in life and faith. He will always be there for you and will never let you down.
“He will never leave you or abandon you.”– Hebrews 13:5
Even if all your friends leave you or you never find a true friend, remember that God is your friend forever. He is your best friend and will never let you down. God will not turn away from you when you are in trouble, nor turn away from you when you are in trouble. Like a true friend, God is by your side, encouraging you and uplifting your spirit. God is a true friend in life and faith through all struggles, difficulties and trials. Finding true friends can be difficult sometimes. But with God’s help they are never far from us. You might find them in unexpected places, such as bookstores and awareness events. God can work miracles and direct you to the right people who will be your true friends. In the meantime, you can work on becoming a true friend to others and developing your friendship with God.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Sabrina Bracher
