The Gift of a True Friend


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“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” – Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

One of the greatest gifts God has given me is a friend who loves me enough to speak the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. That friend is Pat. Although we attended the same church, we never connected until a women’s retreat years ago. We instantly clicked over family stories and our mutual love for God.

Since then, Pat has celebrated my joys, cried with me, and prayed over me when I didn’t have the words. However, one of the sweetest and most challenging ways she’s loved me has been by gently correcting me when I was wrong.

I remember on one of our Wednesday afternoon walks, I was venting about my mother. I was frustrated, justifying my bitterness, and expecting Pat to agree with me. Instead, she looked at me with love and said, “I understand your pain, but don’t let your heart be hard. Don’t let bitterness take root.” Her words stung, but I knew she spoke them in love. I knew she wasn’t judging me. She was helping me. In that moment, her gentle correction turned my heart back toward grace.

Proverbs 27:9 says, “Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel" (HCSB). Pat’s counsel wasn’t flattery; it was truth spoken in love, and it brought healing. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us not to give up meeting together, but to “stir up one another to love and good works,” just as Pat had done for me. So many of our Wednesday afternoon walks echoed the truth of 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Encourage one another and build one another up” (HCSB). There’s nothing like a friend who truly loves us through both the good times and the difficult ones.

I love the beautiful story the Bible tells us about Ruth and Naomi. Their story is about a friendship of love and loyalty. When Naomi lost her husband and sons, she urged her daughters-in-law to return home. But Ruth clung to her and said, “For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live…” (Ruth 1:16, HCSB). Ruth had every reason to walk away, but she stayed, through sorrow and uncertainty. Her faithful friendship changed both of their lives.

Ruth’s commitment, the kind that says, “I’m not going anywhere,” reminds us that friendship is more than shared interests. It’s about walking alongside each other in every season, encouraging one another in the Lord.

Friendship should always reflect Christ. It should be faithful, loving, and truth-speaking. Let’s be friends who show up, speak truth in love, and build one another up in faith. And let’s thank God for the friends in our lives who lovingly help us become more like Jesus.


Questions for Reflection: 

  1. Is there someone who has loved you enough to speak truth into your life? 
  2. Are your friendships rooted in shared faith, or is God inviting you to invest more spiritually?
  3. What steps can you take to deepen your current friendships in Christ?
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    Stacey Barkley

    Stacey Barkley is a devoted wife and mother who loves the Lord and is active in her church. The most important thing she wants people to know is that God loves them no matter what. As a teacher, she enjoys instilling in her young students the love of writing. She is also a writer and blogger who enjoys finding God’s character throughout her daily adventures. Whether she is whitewater rafting, hiking in Northeast Tennessee, or tending her garden, she experiences God’s ever-present character. Share in her adventures at StaceyBarkley.com.

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