"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Who do you trust the most? In a world where people have shallow relationships and only a few acquaintances, it's hard to find good friends. "Hanging with the crowd" can give us a false sense of belonging, but it often leaves us hurt and alone in times of trouble. Relationships that are open, honest, helpful, and loving don't happen on their own. Ask the Lord to put you in touch with close family and friends. Help and serve the people around you. Listen to what they want and pray for them every day. Spend time serving God with other Christians who also want to serve. Join a Bible study or a group that will hold you accountable. As you do this, have faith that God will give you that "friend who sticks with you through thick and thin." You can find friends easily, but you can't always count on them. Getting Christian friends takes time and work, but they are friends we will have forever.

Close spiritual friends, the kind who can hold us accountable when we need it, lift us up when we're down, or celebrate with us when we've done well, are very rare. So many people are lonely because they want something or, even better, someone they've never met. We tend to have acquaintances instead of friends and partners in modern Western culture. When things go wrong and we don't have anything to offer our friends, they may run away or lose interest if things go on for a long time. True friends, on the other hand, are more loyal and committed than even blood relatives. How do I know? God said He would! I've seen it! It has been a blessing to my family. So let's heed the call to be that kind of friend to others, and if we do, we'll often find that kind of friend for ourselves.