Becoming a Real Friend_Reading Note

Becoming a Real Friend

A true friendship is two-side; both people share and give of themselves. Developing friendship is risky. You have to open yourself up to others and be real.

1. A real friend will communicate.

a. Casual Communication: You talk but you really don’t say much. You don’t built up any trust, so you’re careful about what you share.

b. Cliché’ Communication: You talk about others, what they did or said, but not much about you. If you do talk about yourself, it’s usually only to relate what you did or said. You’re not about to tell the other person your deepest fears or secret struggle.

c. Close Communication: It involves revealing to others how you really feel about something—your true opinion, hopes fears, needs, and secrets.

2. A real friend is compatible

You usually form with well and with whom you have something in common. You like to do the same things and you have similar goals and desires. The first place to look for compatibility is in the area of beliefs. Compatibility in beliefs means that not only are you both Christians (Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim etc…), but you have the same convictions.

3. A real friend develops others

Can you be the kind of friend who will stand by others in their lowest moments? As a true friend, you must focus on loving and developing others. As you do, you will find that you’re also developing yourself.

4. A real friend accept others

If you can’t accept your friends for who they are, you will always be trying to change them. We are to accept others just as they are.

5. A true friend is trustworthy

A true friendship is characterized by its degree of trust and loyalty.

6. A real friend forgives others

You won’t travel too far down the road of friendship before you get hurt and hurt others. When that happens, being a real friend means forgiving others.

The source of a teen’s security is usually found in his acceptance by others-especially his peers. The affirmation of one’s self-worth, humanly speaking, is rooted in the opinion of others. When there is an overriding need for affirmation, a teen will become vulnerable to peer pressure. Josh McDowell

Ref:
Neil T. Anderson and Dave Park. Purity Under Pressure. Eugene, Orgon 97402: Harvest House Publishers, 1995. 1-248.