Topic > Relationships > Friendship >
A Letter To All First-Year Students
Hey there, You made it! You’ve survived the plane, bus, or train ride and have arrived at a new season of life. Welcome to university—your home for the next three to four years!
I Was Jealous of My Best Friend
I have something to confess: I was once jealous of my best friend. I didn’t mean to feel this way, and I’m not quite sure how it happened. We’d grown up and shared everything since we were young: our joys and tears, our secrets and dreams.
Loving Can Hurt Sometimes
We all know the unexplainable joy and completeness that comes from loving someone and being loved in return. But love can sometimes also cause us deep pain. Although we normally associate these feelings with romantic love, it is just as applicable in our friendships.
Best Friend—Forever
One of the pieces of wisdom I have come to appreciate is my dad’s often-repeated statement, “Joe, good friends are one of life’s greatest treasures.” How true! With good friends, you are never alone. They’re attentive to your needs and gladly share life’s joys and burdens.
Before Jesus came to earth, only two individuals were called friends of God. The Lord spoke to Moses “as one speaks to a friend” (Ex. 33:11), and Abraham “was called God’s friend” (James 2:23; see 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8).
I am amazed that Jesus calls those of us who belong to Him friends: “I have…
Come Sit a Spell
When I was a kid, our family made a monthly excursion from Ohio to West Virginia to visit my maternal grandparents. Every time we arrived at the door of their farmhouse, Grandma Lester would greet us with the words, “Come on in and sit a spell.” It was her way of telling us to make ourselves comfortable, stay a while, and share in some “catching up” conversation.
Life can get pretty busy. In our action-oriented world, it’s hard to get to know people. It’s tough to find time to ask someone to “sit a spell” with us. We can get more…
Gather Together
Whether breaking bread around a table or coming together around the Word of God, it’s good to be with other believers. We find common ground, encouragement, and happy hearts. Fellowship is one of God’s greatest gifts to His children.
Why We Spent 15 Years in the “Friend Zone”
Yes, that’s the number of years my husband, Jonathan, and I knew each other before we got married. I guess you could consider us living examples of the saying, “The best relationships start off as friendships”.
When He said He Didn’t Like Me
Relationships. Many of us, myself included, crave to be in one. There was a time in my life when I was head over heels with this guy, whom I shall refer to as Andy.
The Lonely Season
Amid the pile of post-Christmas mail I discovered a treasure—a handmade Christmas card painted on repurposed cardstock. Simple watercolor strokes evoked a scene of wintry hills livened with evergreens. Centered at the bottom, framed by red-berried holly, was this hand-printed message:
Peace be with you!
The artist was a prisoner and a friend of mine. As I admired his handiwork, I realized I hadn’t written to him in 2 years!
Long ago, another prisoner was neglected as he waited in prison. “Only Luke is with me,” wrote the apostle Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:11). “No one came to my support, but everyone…
Why Miscommunication Happens so Often
Have you had a friendship or relationship sour because of poor communication? Perhaps a boss did not tell you something in advance but eventually blamed you for not completing an assignment on time. Or, some project group mates did not tell you that they needed help—until the deadline came.
Bringing Our Friends to Jesus
During my childhood, one of the most feared diseases was polio, often called “infantile paralysis” because most of those infected were young children. Before a preventive vaccine was developed in the mid-1950s, some 20,000 people were paralyzed by polio and about 1,000 died from it each year in the United States alone.
In ancient times, paralysis was viewed as a permanent, hopeless condition. But one group of men believed Jesus could help their paralyzed friend. While Jesus was teaching in the village of Capernaum, four of the men carried the man to Him. When they couldn’t reach Jesus because of the crowd,…
Taming Our Tongues: 3 Questions to Ask
Most of us might be familiar with the old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me”. My English literature teacher used to counter that saying.
2 A.M. Friends
A friend told me about a group of people who share a strong bond of faith in Christ. One of them, a 93-year-old woman, said, “I feel like I can call any of you at 2 a.m., and I don’t even have to apologize if I feel the need for any type of assistance.” Whether the need is prayer, practical help, or someone to be there during a time of need, these friends are unconditionally committed to each other.
The same sense of commitment shines through Paul’s letter to the followers of Jesus in Colossae. Writing from prison in Rome, Paul…
New “Dislike” Button: Like or Dislike?
It’s official: Facebook is working on a “dislike” button for your posts—after reportedly refusing to build one for a really long time.
Contrary to what it sounds like, the button is meant to provide a way for people to express empathy—not negativity—says founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Sharing Your Faith: What Not to Do
Christianity is contagious and yet, in this world of easy communication and hundreds of different beliefs, sharing the gospel with family, friends, dentists, garbage collectors, colleagues, enemies, taxi drivers, teammates or others can often go awry pretty quickly—without us even knowing why.
