Alexis Monistere
Hey y’all, today I’m going to be talking about friendships. A few months ago, Mya and I led a Focus Night on friendships, so I’m going to touch base on that and add a few things!
Everyone knows what a friend is, but have you ever looked at the definition? As stated on dictionary.com, “a friend is a person attached by feelings of affection or personal regard.” This means that a friend is someone who has something in common with you, or when y’all meet, it’s an instant connection. A friend should be someone you trust or grow to trust.
Sometimes it’s hard to find a real friend/know the difference between a real and fake friend. A real friend will be there for you when you need them. They will help you grow into a better person. They will always have your back, but they will not hesitate to tell you the truth. A fake friend is someone who is only friends with you for something, or they use you. A fake friend will talk about you to other people, but they’ll act like nothing's wrong to your face. They will lie straight to your face. A fake friend will lead to a toxic friendship. They sometimes act like they do out of jealousy. To know the difference between a real and fake friend is really hard, but what I advise is that you just trust your gut. If you feel something is wrong, ask them, but don’t just assume. If you assume and you’re wrong, that will break down the trust in the friendship. Always remember that if a friend is hurting you in any way emotionally, it’s ok to ask them to stop, and if they don’t, it’s ok to step away and not be friends with them.
The hardest thing about friendships is that you feel as though you have to be friends with everyone, but that is not the case. If a friend doesn’t treat you right, it's ok to distance yourself from them. Picking the right group of friends is hard. There are so many factors that come into play with picking the right group: peer pressure, wanting to fit in, and the hardest one, being happy in the friendship. It is so hard at times when trying to find the right group. When you find the correct group of friends, you will feel it.
Friends are hard to find, but when you find the right ones, God will tell you. If you are in a toxic friendship, God will send signs, and He will be there every step of the way until you are out of it. I hope that if you get anything out of this it’s this: to have a friend you have to be a friend. Don’t change yourself to fit in. God made you the way you are, and you shouldn’t have to change yourself for anything. I promise that Jesus will love you for you, and He will always be your friend.
Great blog!