In Proverbs 17:17 the phrase “the friend loves at all times”. However, there are many other Bible verses about friendship, as the scriptures offer guidance on love, compassion, and how to treat those around us.
The bible quotes about friendship they make it clear that we can and should find decency and kindness in those around us, and that we can offer a lot to our loved ones when it comes to encouragement and care.
When talking about friendship, the verse named above is highlighted, because love is the basis of everything. If there is no love there is nothing, and only when that feeling is in our hearts are we capable of thinking of others even before ourselves.
What is a friend?
A friend is a person who is attached to you from the heart, in a friendship relationship there is mutual affection between two or more people. A friend feels what you feel and knows you and the things you can and can’t do.
Friends are always there to help, they are the ones who understand you. When friendship is true, that person is your helper, your guard, and the one who will be there when the world turns against you.
Bible verses that talk about friendship
To some, this may seem daunting, and to others, unnecessary, especially if you consider yourself nice and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But at some point, you’re going to have to be honest with yourself, look at your friendships, and decide whether to pursue them or let them go.
You’ll save yourself a lot of heartache if you make this decision quickly, but how do you know for sure which relationships are worth keeping and which ones are worth turning their backs on? Fortunately, the Bible has the answers. Here we present the qualities of the true friends according to the bible:
1-The friend loves at all times
In Proverbs 17:17 God tells us clearly: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Love is a language of the heart, it excites, encourages and makes friendships meaningful and fun. However, loving friendships are rare gems.
These priceless treasures are the desire of many but the reality of few. Friendships without love are like ships without sails and tunnels without light at the end.
Love is the glue that holds friendships together, even in difficult and uncertain times, but not all friends are loving. Some friends only stay when things are going well for you.
They will say the right words at the right time and exhibit the qualities of a loving friend, but as soon as you meet hard times and cannot meet their demands and expectations, their love will become a distant memory.
This Bible passage implies that love is a trait of a good friend, and a good friend will love you at all times and in any situation, good or bad. Good friends don’t look for opportunities to excuse themselves from expressing their love to you, but instead look for opportunities to express their love to you even more.
2-Good friends respect you
Do your friends ignore your feelings and treat them like they don’t matter? If your answer to this question is yes, then there is a good chance that your friends do not respect you.
You should never lower your standards to accommodate disrespectful friends. Respect is one of the building blocks of a good friendship, so if your friends don’t have respect, then it might be time to find a solution or just say goodbye to that friendship.
3-Good friends exercise wisdom
Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a fellow fool suffers harm.” The idea behind this passage is not to indiscriminately disassociate from friends you perceive to lack wisdom, but rather to observe their behavior over time.
Have they learned from their experiences that they almost ruined the friendship and endangered their lives? Are they taking active steps to cultivate strong values in their lives? If your answer is yes to these questions, you have good reasons to continue in those friendships, but if not, don’t waste your valuable time anymore.
4-Commendable friends inspire strong values in you
1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Don’t be fooled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'” There is a proverb that says, “You are known by the friends you have,” and this verse reinforces the same wisdom.
This verse not only reinforces this proverb, but more importantly, it points out that just as true friendships bring out the best in you, bad friendships corrupt good morals.
Virtuous friends do not inspire corruption in you, they instill in you solid values. They set laudable examples which, if followed, will reap blessings and honor instead of shame and disgrace. If your friends aren’t inspiring and challenging you to set high standards, then maybe it’s time to let those friendships go.
5-True friends are supportive and trustworthy
Proverbs 18:24 says, “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a true friend sticks closer than a brother.” There is a well-known saying that states: “blood is thicker than water”. But this Bible verse shows that good friendships create bonds that go even further than blood relations.
Good friends stick around long enough to know when we’re sad, broken, and frustrated. They also know when we are happy and full of joy. Loyal friends are always by our side. They always support our important efforts, graciously correct us when we’re wrong, and congratulate us on our accomplishments.
6-Good friends make sacrifices for you
We are clear in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus is the best example of a friend, and his statement “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” is a true reflection of what he considers a good friendship.
Sacrifice is a fundamental quality of a good friendship. In (1 Samuel. 18: 4) the example of friendship of Jonathan and David reinforces the statement of Jesus in (John 15:13). If you read the first verse of 1 Samuel chapter 18, you will notice that Jonathan loved David and embraced him as his friend.
Jonathan was the king’s son, but the king did not like David and wanted to kill him. But Jonathan, learning of his father’s plan, put his life in danger to help David.
7-The honorable friends do not gossip
Proverbs 16:28 tells us: “A wicked person stirs up conflict, and gossip separates close friends.” From experience, there is nothing worse in a friendship than a friend gossiping about you. This verse shows that gossip hurts and brings separation even in the best of friendships.
If your friend gossips, there’s a good chance the friendship will end in disappointment and regret. Don’t let gossip ruin your friendships, broach the subject before it’s too late.
8-Good friends leave a positive influence
We have this teaching in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens, a friend sharpens a friend.” Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a constant battle, but when we invite bad influences into our lives, it makes things much more difficult.
In general, we are influenced by the people around us; be it our childhood heroes, our favorite preachers or our role models.
It is God’s plan that we only allow those friends with a positive influence in our space. God expects us to protect our environment and filter out any toxicity that might discourage us.
Good friends are those who positively influence us: they lead by example: they are cognizant of the fact that we allow them into our space: and they do everything they can to influence, sharpen, and encourage us on the path of justice.
9-Faithful friends bear our shortcomings and support us
Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” This is one of the teachings that most highlights the statement “a friend loves at all times”, a friend is capable of understanding when there are deficiencies in our lives and even facing them for us.
Sometimes friends have to go through uncertain times together to better understand each other. Relationships that initially hit obstacles are often lifelong friendships. Be patient and long-suffering, and find solutions to get the best out of your friends.
10-Good friendships are based on trust
Psalm 37:3 tells us, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” Although this Bible verse does not explicitly highlight trust in our relationship with our friends, it does point to trust in our friendship with God. God is our best example, so it is safe to imitate his example and apply it to our friendship with others.
That being said, the implication here is that friendships should have confidence, and that confidence inspires confidence, confidence in your friends’ abilities, in their words, and in whatever they do. If trust is lacking in your friendships, find a way to foster it. No good friendship can last without trust, so do what you can to encourage it.
11-Good friends are not critical
Juan. 4:11 exhorts us: “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against or judges a brother or sister speaks against the law and judges him. When he judges the law, he does not keep it .”
This Bible verse says that brothers and sisters should not pass judgment against each other. If they do, they transgress God’s liberal law. “Sister” and “brother” here imply someone close to you, in this case, your friends.
Good friends are not quick to judge prematurely; They will first listen to what you have to say. Good friends don’t judge you. Instead, they support you and, when necessary, correct you in a spirit of love and humility.
12-Good friends always forgive
In Colossians 3:13 we are commanded this: “bear with one another and forgive each other if any of you has a wrong against anyone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
True forgiveness comes from the heart. A friend can say that he forgives you, but if it is not from the heart, it means nothing. Unforgiving friends are cold and always find something negative to say. They are quick to judge and never miss an opportunity to point out our mistakes and criticize us for them.
13-Loyal friends are cooperative
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their work; if one falls, his friend can help him up. But there is only one that when he falls, he will have no one to pick him up.”
Giving support is one thing, but cooperating is another. It’s common in most friendships for friends to lend moral support, but it’s a rear view to see a friend get dirty to help a friend out of a sticky situation.
14-Good friends exercise self-control
Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Make no friends with an angry man; and with a furious man, you shall not go: lest you learn his ways, and seize your soul.” Friends who are compulsively short-tempered are never far from confusion.
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