A lot has been said about friends and friendship over the years: “A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” (Bernard Meltzer), “Friendship is accepting a person with all their qualities – good and bad,” (Mohanla) and “Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.” (Ed Cunningham) But perhaps the words that come closest to the truth are those spoken by William Temple: “The greatest medicine is a true friend.”
In all my years of living and doing ministry among families, I found that as people grow older, their friendships play an increasingly greater role in determining their health and wellbeing. You can see it play out with folks who choose to isolate themselves or choose to get involved in the lives of the people they interact with every single day.
As I have considered how important it is to be with people, here are three easy ways to nurture your most valuable friendships.
Put time and energy into them.
It’s very easy in today’s tech-driven world to sit back and let Facebook and other social media platforms manage your friendships for you. But the truth is that no number of likes can exceed the importance of face-to-face time with a friend. So, make it a priority to spend time with your friends whether you decide to meet up for a walk, go out for a meal together, meet up for a cup of coffee or have a regular game night at your house
Listen more than you speak.
While friendships are definitely a two-way street, good friends understand the value of putting others first, so before you rush in and download your long list of news, take the time to listen instead – it’ll build a stronger connection.
Be open and honest.
Honestly is always the best policy and even more so when it comes to your friendships as being honest with someone builds trust and trust is the foundation of all successful relationships. Just remember: When you’re being honest with friends, take a gentle approach – you don’t want to end up causing permanent damage to your friendship.
Being with other people is a part of the Christian walk. You cannot look like Jesus and decide you don’t like people. So get out of your comfort zone. Let those in your life you value know you care about them. Blessings on the journey.