Friends

What I want you to do before you read further is make a list of your top ten friends. No seriously get a pen and paper and write them down. As you read this cross those people off your list who do not apply to what a friend is. At the end of this exercise you are blessed to have 3 or more people left. What is the difference between a friend and an associate? How can you become someone’s friend? Do both parties have to consider themselves friends? Do we say we have to many friends who are really associates or could it be we say we have to many associates and not enough friends? Friend, how do you really define the word friend? Well according to Encarta dictionary a friend is “somebody emotionally close: somebody who trusts and is found of another.” To take that a step further a friend is a person who you would trust your life with. Taking this into consideration knocks a whole lot of people off my friends list. Lets be honest how many people do you call friends really have your best interest at hand. A true friend is that person who is going to tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it, or tell you he or she is not the one when you think they really are. Now don’t mistake this for those people who are just out to cause problems because your happy. The key is they have your best interest at hand. Now what is this word associate? An associate per Encarta dictionary is, “to be connected with somebody or something: to allow yourself to be connected with somebody or something, or voluntarily connect yourself with somebody or something.” This does not say anything about emotionally being envolved or trusting someone. Associates are those people who you know who really don’t have your concerns at hand. They are the people who you may communicate with often but really should not go to for advise. Your boss is your associate, that kid you talk to at work is your associate, most of your family memembers are really associates because you don’t communicate with them enough on an intamte level, and most of the people you call friends are likely associates. If a person has verbally abused you they are not your friend, mark them off your list. If a person has physically abused you they are not your friend mark them off your list. If you do not talk to this person at least once a month mark them off your list. Friends do communicate often with each other! If you have not seen this person in the past 12 months mark them off your list. If you have verbally or physically abused this person mark them off your list. If you would not leave your kids with this person mark them off your list. Now sit back and thank God for anyone on your list that is not crossed off. Oh and by the way this is a great way to decide if a person is worthy of a serious relationship before engagement or marriage, if they are not your friend then they are not your husband or wife.

-May God Have His Way With Me Daily -