Series: FruitWorks~Friendship

In Galatians 5:22-23, we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit. They are the guidelines to which we conduct ourselves in our daily walk. These are nine different aspects of Godliness that we must adhere to, to live to our fullest spiritual potential. They vary slightly, depending on the translation, but the foundational fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. While at first glance, these all look the same, a closer look reveals small differences in their meanings, which translates to differences in their application and implementation. This article is meant to shed light on each of these nine characteristics of holiness, to explore their nuances and minute differences. Friendship falls under the category of love.

Friendship

What is it? What does it look like? The modern definition for this word is most often linked to getting a “thumbs-up on facebook. But, what does this word really mean? How do we apply it? And, is there a Scriptural model?

The dictionary describes friendship in the following way:  

1. the state of being a friend

A friend is defined as

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter
3. a person who is on good terms with another

We are given several examples of friendship in Scripture, and it looks completely different than our worldly, social-media driven view of it.

Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:13

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. -John 15:15

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. -Proverbs 17:17

A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. -Proverbs 18:24

The message given in these verses makes it clear that friends can be more reliable than family, and that Yeshua shows the true meaning of friendship in his relationship with us.

A friend is more than a social media profile; it is the genuine care and concern for another human being. It is a knowledge that, without that person, our lives would have a void in it, which makes that person valuable to us in ways that cannot be measured with money or possessions.