When Friendship Matters...
One author once said that: "It is easier to make friends than it is to be one." Why? Making friends simply involves being nice to people you like, whereas being a friend involves serious effort. Instead of waiting for others to make you feel better, it is your mission to add value to their lives. That's what Proverbs tell us: "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need." Proverbs 17:17. (NLT)
Being a friend is a choice. So is choosing to establish friendships! It will give us great fulfillment, because we will enrich the lives of others. That's what the scripture means by being loyal friend. A loyal friend will criticize you privately, but encourage you publicly. A loyal friend will multiply your joy and divide your sorrow. As we read this scripture, let's choose friends based on their character - not their compliments.
If you have time to be a loyal friend, you will be sought by others. Being a brother in time of need is more than lending tools, or sharing groceries; it is caring and being concerned for the little things. It is being a friend in such a way that our neighbors will see G-d in our lives. Being a friend is like an investment - you get what you put into it! It takes time to mature, but the dividends they pay are eternal. Friendship takes long to be established but can be destroyed in a heartbeat. Be a loyal friend, after all -that's all that matters in a friendship.
In His service, your fellow servant, Pr. Paul Santos