A True Friendship Knows No Pretense

A popular television show from the 1980’s entitled, “Golden Girls” had a theme song that said, “Thank you for being a friend….travel down the road and back again….and if you threw a party and invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, ‘thank you for being a friend.’” Currently, we use the word “friend” to describe a relationship when in reality we may mean “acquaintance.” What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance? An acquaintance is a person with whom you interact with on occasion and may even sporadically see socially or at work. However, the main characteristic of a friend in most relationships, is distinguished by the fact that it is usually someone you share intimate moments of reflection, time, and trust with.

A loyal friend is a “person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.” The Bible warmly decrees, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

True friendship is based on a relationship where individuals are of like mind. True friendship knows no pretense. A faithful friend relationship is one with whom you are free to be yourself, with no fear of rejection or compromise of your morals. A devoted friend is someone that you can confide in with complete trust and confidence. Additionally, a real friend will never seek to get you to abandon your principles and will always respect you and your beliefs and will disagree with you in a manner that is not belligerent. Anything, otherwise, is not true friendship. Proverbs 17:17 says, “a friend loves at all times.” If this is you, thank you for being a friend!