None of us can deny that friendships have a huge impact on us.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. (NIV)

How many of us can think of a time when a good friend helped us through something tough?

When we think about our friendships, it's easy to think about what we get out of the relationship. We wonder, "Does so-and-so support me? Do they help me? Are they there for me?" There's nothing wrong with that. It's just not the whole picture.

I have a saying. It's that good friends make good friends gooder. I realize that "gooder" isn't a word. But it seems more memorable when I say it like that! LOL

So just as your good friends can support and strengthen you — and make you gooder — you should also be a person who supports and strengthens them. When they ask themselves that same set of questions — questions like whether or not you support them and help them and are there for them — would they answer "Yes"?

I realize that none of us has a perfect track record. But when it comes to cultivating quality friendships, we should be equally as concerned with what we give as with what we get.

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up." Sometimes, you're the one who does the falling. But sometimes, you're the one who does the helping.

Good friends make good friends gooder.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be the kind of friends who don't just think about what we get out of the relationship, but about what we give. In the name of our never-failing friend, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share on Facebook

About the author:

Matthew Ruttan <matthew@matthewruttan.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Send your feedback to the author