Life is better when approached with a good sense of humour. Happy and outgoing people are a lot more fun to be around with than those who are depress, moody and see no reason to laugh. When you find that person who makes you laugh so well and consistently to the point that you almost pee in your pants, which no one else does, then you would understand that you are with a good and best friend.
• Honesty
Honesty is the best policy to keep friendship alive. A real friend will always tell the truth and will never lie to you no matter the circumstance. Everyone wants a “true friend” and you will never maintain your friendship if you don’t tell the truth, even when it hurts.
Honesty may be the most important quality for every friendship as it is difficult to befriend anyone who tells you lies and can’t be trusted. If you can trust someone to do the right thing in all situations and they are not tempted by temporary gain, it is a good bet they will make a lasting friend.
A good friend may not share every detail of their everyday life, but they will always do their best to be clear about their intentions. This means that they try to present an accurate picture of who they are and when something does not seem right, they let you know.
• Listening
You need a friend to share your problems with. You do not want to talk with everyone about the problems you have and a real friend will listen and will try to give some useful advice. Even if you need advice for issues that happened in your marriage; a friend will listen to your problems and give his/her opinion without interfering in your relationship with your spouse. If someone just does not “hear” what you are saying when you confide in them, they won’t make good friend. Communication is a two-way street and being a good listener is one half of the equation.
• Supportive
A good friend will be supportive of you and your goals, and they will act accordingly. A true friend will help you become the person you want to be and know how to help you handle problems.
• Generosity
A good friend is openly generous in personality and character. They will be generous with their time, talent and money. They won’t hesitate to help you when in need. They feel your pains and take them up as though they are theirs. Sometimes it may be difficult to keep and retain true friendship over time, but they will always forgive where and when needed, and love even when it hurts.
• A Good Friend Is Attentive And Adaptable
A good friend is a fairly good listener and notices how every little day-to-day thingsaffect you. They cannot read your mind, but chances are that they can tell when you are happy, sad, excited, shocked or upset. If they are aware that they are doing something that annoys you, they will try to change their ways or at least talk to you about it.
• A Good Friend Is Supportive Of You And Your Goals
True friendship makes you better; it brings out the best version of yourself. A really good friend will know what makes you sick and will help you become the person you want to be. They will not try to change who you are or drag you into situations that make you uncomfortable or put you at risk of losing something that matters to you. They appreciate where you are and encourage you to get to where they think you are going.
• A Good Friend Sticks With You In Good And Bad Times
Loyalty is a quality almost everyone wants when asked; it is the true quality they look for in a friend. A loyal friend will stick with you no matter where you find yourself. They don’t celebrate you because everybody is celebrating you neither do they stay away from you because everyone thinks you are a failure. A good friend accepts you for who you are, even when you are considered as nothing. In friendship, being accepted goes hand in glove with being loyal. A true friend rolls with the punches as you grow and adapts with your growth; and know how to deal with your faults and flaws. They are patient with you when you make mistakes, even costly ones. They know how to forgive you when you hurt them. In other words, they treat you as you’d like to be treated, even when you are not at your best.
This Is Based On:
1. Unconditional love — Regardless of what you do, what happens or where life takes you, a true friend loves at all times.
2. Unwavering support — You don’t have to do the “right things” all the time to keep a true friend. They support you; if not in actions as a person, but will tell you the sincere and honest truth in whatever you choose to do.
3. Willingness to challenge — A true friendship makes you better. The Bible says: “iron sharpens iron.” True friends will correct you if needed.
4. Consistent over time —True friendships are not just for a period of time or season. They stick with you through life. True friendships can start instantly, but it takes time to build.
• Trustworthiness
Trust is an important aspect in every friendship. You share almost everything with your friend,sometimes confidential information. You need to rely on your friend’s word to keep this information between you and your friend. A good friend is someone you can always trust.
A true friend won’t try to steal anything from you, be it your job or your personality. They won’t gossip about you or try to damage your reputation. They will let you know when they’re concerned and do their best to stand up for you when you are in trouble. They may not necessarily inherit your enemies, but certainly they will not be the reason you are exposed to your enemies.
• Respect
Everyone has different opinions and it is important your friend shows respect for your point of view. It is not necessary he/she agrees with your points and can sometimes try to change your mind, but he needs to always respect you, even if he/she disagrees with you.
• Patient
There are circumstances where patience of your friend is necessary. It is possible you complain about certain issues, which you cannot share with someone else. Patience is an important quality your friend needs to help you through life process.
• Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an important quality of a true friend; it is necessary when some problems arise between you and your friend. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes they say things they don’t mean. Forgiveness is important for maintaining your friendship and nobody should lose his/her best friend for a misunderstanding or a small conflict.
• Caring
A real friend will always care for you, in good and bad situations. If you are sick he/she will try to visit you as much as possible. He/she will always care for you no matter, which problem you have and will give you the necessary support to reach certain goals.
Mirror Your Friends
• There are friends that stick more than brothers
• There are friends that kill
• There are friend that keep
• There are friends that speaks for you
• There friends that speak against you
• There are friends that inspire you
• There are friends that stab you
• There are friends that expire you
• There are friends that protect and fight for you
• There are friends that enrich you
• There are friends that promote you
• There are friends that demote you
• There are friends that honour you
• There are friends that dishonour you
• There are friends that reign and extol you
• There are friends you know
• There are friends you don’t know
• There are friends that ruin you
• There are friends that seat you down
• There are friends that unseat you
• There are friends that heal you
• There are friends that hurt you
• There are friends that cannot let you go
• There are friends that you cannot let go
Who Are You And What Kind Of A Friend Are You?
My Take Of Friendship (Are You)
• My protector
• My watchman
• My gossip mate
• My accountant
• My adviser
• My constructive critic
• My role model
• My forgiver
• My motivator
• My pace setter
• My follower
• My prayer partner
• My light giver
• My ally
• My battle fighter
• My hero
• My photographer
• My memory keeper
• My time keeper
• My preacher man
• My caution
• I desire a friend who does these two things for me: the one that makes me fear to commit sin, and the one that reminds me of my promises to God and man. Everyone needs this kind of friend in life.
• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)
