One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24 NIV)
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
(John 15:13 NIV)
Friend is the Five Minute Friday word for this week. True friends are gifts and sometimes rare in this day and age. [bctt tweet=”Jesus is the perfect example of a true friend. ” username=”GaylWright”]He made the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life for you and me. That kind of love is immeasurable.
Most of us will not be asked to give our lives for our friends, but often we may make sacrifices to help them. We might bring a meal to a family who has been sick. Maybe we offer to babysit to give parents a needed date night.
[bctt tweet=”There are many ways to show friendship.” username=”GaylWright”] One of the most important ways is just to be there for someone else. Sometimes we don’t even have to talk. Just the presence of another person who loves and cares can do wonders to lift the spirits of another.
Showing love and listening are also things that good friends do. A friend is someone we can count on no matter what happens.
(John15:9-15)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 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 that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
I’m linking up with: #FiveMinuteFriday, #InspireMeMonday, #Glimpses, #TeaAndWord, #TuneInThursday
Love this post, Gayl. Good writing, great heart!
I have been in the position of having to offer up my life, as it were, for both friends and strangers. The main feeling I brought with me was, well…it’s just what the job entails.
Afterwards, maybe, the shakes come.
Thank you so much, Andrew! I’m glad you like it.
Yes, I can’t imagine all you’ve been through. I guess sometimes we act before we have time to think and do what needs to be done. But yeah, afterwards….
May God bless and comfort you, dear brother!
Friends are amazing! I am so glad I’ve met you!!
Aw, thank you, Kadie! I agree that friends are amazing and I’m also glad I met you! 🙂
Many blessings to you! xo
Thank you for this sweet post, Gayl. Friends God sends to us are such special gifts! He is so faithful to place the right people in our lives at the right time. He knows who and what we need! May He bless you richly. 🙂
Thank you, Cheryl. I agree that friends are special gifts. And yes, God knows exactly what and who we need. 🙂
May He also bless you richly! xo
Hi Gayl,
I loved that fun picture of you and your friends! Those gatherings, just to be in each other’s presence, like you said, are some of the best relationship builders. But I’m also thankful for being able to be your “online” friend! You have brought many blessings to me dear sister! Love and Hugs to you! xoxo
Thanks, Bettie!
Yes, those are long time friends and we try to get together at least once a month, but we sometimes miss.
I am also thankful to be your “online” friend and hope we get the chance to meet in person some day. You have also blessed me with your writing and your friendship.
Many blessings to you with love and hugs, dear sister! xo
Friends are such a gift! I’m in the 35 spot this week.
You are right about that, dear Tara! Blessings to you! xo
I love the photo, as well as your words. I also thought, when I saw this week’s prompt, about how Jesus says there’s no greater love than laying down your life for a friend. I have had friendships where, when the chips were down, the other person could/would not do that. It’s really painful but it has really made me think about the kind of friend I want to be and whether I am willing to pay that price – not literally, most likely, but in terms of how I sacrifice for the other’s good. You’ve given some great examples of how that can happen in everyday life. Thanks for sharing today.
Jeannie (over at #34 at FMF this week)
Thanks, Jeannie! “Great minds think alike!” It’s a great verse so I’m not surprised that you thought of it, too. 🙂
Yes, some kinds of friends are not really friends, and it does give cause to think about what kind of a friend we want to be to others.
Thank you for visiting! I’ll check out your post, too, when I get a chance. I’m at my oldest daughter’s helping her out for a few days.
Blessings to you!
Long time friends are the best! (What can you do? They know too much!) 😉 Great post, friend!
You’re right, Karrilee! 🙂 Thanks for your comments.
Blessings to you!
What a blessed woman you are! My three best friends actually live in other states, but decades of loving and leaning keeps our friendshipsite vibrant. Whenever we get in the same room, it’s like we saw each other yesterday. Thanks for sharing about one of God’s best blessings.
Yes, Alice, I am very blessed. I also know what you mean about friends who don’t live close, but when you get together it’s like no time has passed. Friends are definitely some of God’s best blessings!
Thank you for visiting. Many blessings to you!
I love that thought, that laying down our lives for another might not mean just physical death, but the everyday dying to self that comes as we lay down our lives in how we treat each other.
Thanks, Barbara. Yes, – the everyday dying to self – sometimes hard, but can be rewarding.
Blessings to you!
What fun to have long-time friends that you meet with often! I’m so glad I have my online friends AND that I run into them all over the Internet ;). Have a wonderful day, Gayl!
Anita, yes, it is fun to get together with them. We used to all go to the same church, but now we are all in different ones. None of us planned for that to happen, but God had other plans. But we still keep in touch and that is a beautiful thing.
Blessings to you!
Gayl,
What a blessing to have long-time friends 🙂 Priceless!
Yes, Dolly, I do count it a blessing. And I’m gaining some wonderful online friendships, too, that I hope to meet in person one day.
Many blessings to you!
I love this, “There are many ways to show friendship.”
Thanks for sharing FRIEND!!! 🙂 xoxo
Thanks, Meghan! I’m glad I’ve met you online and thankful to have you as a friend!!!
Blessings to you! xoxo
Gayl – you are so right – there are many ways to show friendship and one of the most valuable ways is to just be there!!! Some of my most treasured moments are when friends where just there with me, through the good and bad, they didn’t have to say a thing, sometimes they just listened and other times we just sat in silence finding comfort in just being together.
thanks for linking up with #TuneInThursday this week. Sorry for my delay in stopping by, it has been a busy week 🙂
Thanks, Debbie! So glad to hear you have friends who just sit with you. It can mean so much to have the presence of another when we hurt.
Blessings to you!