{"id":2853,"date":"2021-07-05T18:39:48","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T18:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/?p=2853"},"modified":"2021-07-05T18:39:48","modified_gmt":"2021-07-05T18:39:48","slug":"the-joy-of-friendships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/the-joy-of-friendships\/","title":{"rendered":"THE JOY OF FRIENDSHIPS"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2853\" class=\"elementor elementor-2853\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2ce7dd2b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2ce7dd2b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-240cbce4\" data-id=\"240cbce4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36902c74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36902c74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I am starting this article thinking about all the wonderful blessings that I have experienced as a result of good friendships, it hasn\u2019t always been like this, in fact I have memories of conversations with my mentor when I was going through a challenging season with some of my friendships and her encouragement was that I should not give up on my friendships but be wiser in my choices and responses and pray to God for good and godly healthy friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I am sure we all have our fair share of stories both good and bad, when a friendship relationship went wrong through a hurt or betrayal and when it went well through the encouragement and support received during a difficult time. God created us for a relationship, first with himself and with others to help us know the joy of acceptance, love and belonging. In our current age, where the notion of a friend on social media is one you may have never met or interacted with on a one-to-one basis, we might unwittingly begin to view friendship as a badge of honour based on popularity and status without any substance or depth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A quote on friendship that really resonates with me is \u201cWhen we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.\u201d \u2014 Henri Nouwen. True friendship is about being there for each other through the good and bad times, showing each other the love of God through how we treat each other. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We were created for interaction and association NOT for isolation. God\u2019s desire for you and I is to experience the delight of friendship, I John 15:12-15 states \u201c\u201cMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one\u2019s life for one\u2019s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master\u2019s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.\u201d This scripture clearly gives us a definition of what true friendship is, God\u2019s friendship with us, and how we ought to be with our friends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every relationship that is worth its weight in gold will go through some challenges and a relationship that is not tested will not be strong. Our friendships offer us the opportunity to learn to be like Jesus. God uses our friendships to build our character and through us, show up in the lives of our friends here on earth. I can\u2019t even begin to recount the many ways my friendships have enriched my life. Friends have stuck with me through thick and thin, like family, helping me navigate difficult seasons of my life, cheering me on, celebrating with me and lifting up my spirit when I so badly needed it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are reminded in the Bible that friends: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Make our lives better and successful in \u201cEcclesiastes 4:9 \u2013 \u201cTwo people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Sharpen and strengthen each other in \u201cProverbs 27:17 \u2013 \u201cIron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Make us wiser in \u201cProverbs 13:20 \u2013 \u201cWalk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Provide a shoulder to lean on and help us carry our burdens \u201cGalatians 6:20 \u2013 \u201cCarry each other\u2019s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Love us and are with us in difficult seasons in \u201cProverbs 17:17 \u2013 \u201cA friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.\u201d<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are reminded in Proverbs 18:24 that \u201cA man who has friends must himself be friendly\u2026\u201d If you desire good friendships, you must first be a friendly person. Pray to God for good healthy friendships regardless of what your experiences might have been to date. There are adventures waiting for you as you open up yourself to loving others and embracing new friendships that God has for you. Go on; reach out! What are you waiting for? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do you want to flourish and thrive in your friendships and relationships? Visit our <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/\">website<\/a> to find out more about our upcoming workshops and courses and subscribe to our <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCxfGgCXrFRzkkFojA4qI3-g\/featured?app=desktop\">YouTube<\/a> channel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am starting this article thinking about all the wonderful blessings that I have experienced.<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons\"><!-- wp:button --><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/2021\/07\/05\/the-joy-of-friendships\/\">read more<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-relationships"],"comments_count":"0","content_native":[{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am starting this article thinking about all the wonderful blessings that I have experienced as a result of good friendships, it hasn\u2019t always been like this, in fact I have memories of conversations with my mentor when I was going through a challenging season with some of my friendships and her encouragement was that I should not give up on my friendships but be wiser in my choices and responses and pray to God for good and godly healthy friendships.<\/p>\n<p>I am sure we all have our fair share of stories both good and bad, when a friendship relationship went wrong through a hurt or betrayal and when it went well through the encouragement and support received during a difficult time. God created us for a relationship, first with himself and with others to help us know the joy of acceptance, love and belonging. In our current age, where the notion of a friend on social media is one you may have never met or interacted with on a one-to-one basis, we might unwittingly begin to view friendship as a badge of honour based on popularity and status without any substance or depth.<\/p>\n<p>A quote on friendship that really resonates with me is \u201cWhen we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.\u201d \u2014 Henri Nouwen. True friendship is about being there for each other through the good and bad times, showing each other the love of God through how we treat each other. <\/p>\n<p>We were created for interaction and association NOT for isolation. God\u2019s desire for you and I is to experience the delight of friendship, I John 15:12-15 states \"\u201cMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.\u201d This scripture clearly gives us a definition of what true friendship is, God\u2019s friendship with us, and how we ought to be with our friends.<\/p>\n<p>Every relationship that is worth its weight in gold will go through some challenges and a relationship that is not tested will not be strong. Our friendships offer us the opportunity to learn to be like Jesus. God uses our friendships to build our character and through us, show up in the lives of our friends here on earth. I can\u2019t even begin to recount the many ways my friendships have enriched my life. Friends have stuck with me through thick and thin, like family, helping me navigate difficult seasons of my life, cheering me on, celebrating with me and lifting up my spirit when I so badly needed it. <\/p>\n<p>We are reminded in the Bible that friends: <\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Make our lives better and successful in \u201cEcclesiastes 4:9 \u2013 \u201cTwo people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Sharpen and strengthen each other in \u201cProverbs 27:17 \u2013 \u201cIron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Make us wiser in \u201cProverbs 13:20 \u2013 \u201cWalk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Provide a shoulder to lean on and help us carry our burdens \u201cGalatians 6:20 \u2013 \u201cCarry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Love us and are with us in difficult seasons in \u201cProverbs 17:17 \u2013 \u201cA friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.\u201d<br \/>We are reminded in Proverbs 18:24 that \u201cA man who has friends must himself be friendly\u2026\u201d If you desire good friendships, you must first be a friendly person. Pray to God for good healthy friendships regardless of what your experiences might have been to date. There are adventures waiting for you as you open up yourself to loving others and embracing new friendships that God has for you. Go on; reach out! What are you waiting for? <\/p>\n<p>Do you want to flourish and thrive in your friendships and relationships? Visit our <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/\">website<\/a> to find out more about our upcoming workshops and courses and subscribe to our <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCxfGgCXrFRzkkFojA4qI3-g\/featured?app=desktop\">YouTube<\/a> channel.<\/p>\n<p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am starting this article thinking about all the wonderful blessings that I have experienced as a result of good friendships, it hasn\u2019t always been like this, in fact I have memories of conversations with my mentor when I was going through a challenging season with some of my friendships and her encouragement was that I should not give up on my friendships but be wiser in my choices and responses and pray to God for good and godly healthy friendships.<\/p>\nI am sure we all have our fair share of stories both good and bad, when a friendship relationship went wrong through a hurt or betrayal and when it went well through the encouragement and support received during a difficult time. God created us for a relationship, first with himself and with others to help us know the joy of acceptance, love and belonging. In our current age, where the notion of a friend on social media is one you may have never met or interacted with on a one-to-one basis, we might unwittingly begin to view friendship as a badge of honour based on popularity and status without any substance or depth.\nA quote on friendship that really resonates with me is \u201cWhen we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.\u201d \u2014 Henri Nouwen. True friendship is about being there for each other through the good and bad times, showing each other the love of God through how we treat each other. \nWe were created for interaction and association NOT for isolation. God\u2019s desire for you and I is to experience the delight of friendship, I John 15:12-15 states \"\u201cMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.\u201d This scripture clearly gives us a definition of what true friendship is, God\u2019s friendship with us, and how we ought to be with our friends.\nEvery relationship that is worth its weight in gold will go through some challenges and a relationship that is not tested will not be strong. Our friendships offer us the opportunity to learn to be like Jesus. God uses our friendships to build our character and through us, show up in the lives of our friends here on earth. I can\u2019t even begin to recount the many ways my friendships have enriched my life. Friends have stuck with me through thick and thin, like family, helping me navigate difficult seasons of my life, cheering me on, celebrating with me and lifting up my spirit when I so badly needed it. \nWe are reminded in the Bible that friends: \n\u2022 Make our lives better and successful in \u201cEcclesiastes 4:9 \u2013 \u201cTwo people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.\u201d\n\u2022 Sharpen and strengthen each other in \u201cProverbs 27:17 \u2013 \u201cIron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.\u201d\n\u2022 Make us wiser in \u201cProverbs 13:20 \u2013 \u201cWalk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.\u201d\n\u2022 Provide a shoulder to lean on and help us carry our burdens \u201cGalatians 6:20 \u2013 \u201cCarry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.\u201d\n\u2022 Love us and are with us in difficult seasons in \u201cProverbs 17:17 \u2013 \u201cA friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.\u201d<br \/>We are reminded in Proverbs 18:24 that \u201cA man who has friends must himself be friendly\u2026\u201d If you desire good friendships, you must first be a friendly person. Pray to God for good healthy friendships regardless of what your experiences might have been to date. There are adventures waiting for you as you open up yourself to loving others and embracing new friendships that God has for you. Go on; reach out! What are you waiting for? \nDo you want to flourish and thrive in your friendships and relationships? Visit our <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/\">website<\/a> to find out more about our upcoming workshops and courses and subscribe to our <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCxfGgCXrFRzkkFojA4qI3-g\/featured?app=desktop\">YouTube<\/a> channel.\n<p>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":null,"dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}