Friends: A Loaded Term

Facebook has made the term “friend” famous again. I’m amazed at how many FB friends I have (442 at the moment), but that’s paltry compared to others. Inviting or accepting a person as your FB friend takes a small amount of judgment (is it safe?), memory (how do I know this person?), and preference (do I want to acknowledge them?). And with those criteria for friendship, Facebook has indeed redefined the word.

While it’s a handy term online, “friend” has traditionally meant a whole lot more. The Bible helps us understand the depth of such a relationship. And since I’ve been studying Proverbs this summer, I’ve noticed the term pop up frequently:

Proverbs 18:24 “A person who has friends may be harmed by them, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a relative is born to help in adversity.”

27:65 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.”

27:17  “As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.”

  Sometimes our blood family lets us down. We don’t all come from healthy, loving homes. Even when we do have a great family life, a friend can come along with a different perspective on life. We talk a lot about “blood is thicker than water,” but I’ve found the opposite can be true as well. For instance, I don’t have a biological sister. God brought me a sister of the heart–and all her family with her–during my college years. She can tell me “like it is,” even wound me if the occasion warrants it. Yet her words are seasoned with love, meant to heal, encourage, exhort. I can take correction from her because I know she loves me. That’s a friend “who sticks closer than a brother.”

My husband and I are blessed with long-distance friends whom we try to visit annually. They are the sort with whom we can pick right back up no matter how long between visits. Our talks involve more than discussing children or the latest movie. We can go deep with one another. One year, when my husband was having a difficult time, his buddy flew across country to surprise him for a quick weekend of fun and encouragement. We pray for one another regularly, encourage each other…the list goes on.

In our computer-driven world of online “friends,” how do yours stack up to the biblical model? If you are blessed with true friends, godly friends, give thanks for them.

Friends. I use the term loosely online, but I hold it dear in real life.