Hospitality is a great way to develop friendships. You could develop some of your greatest friendships by opening your heart and your home.
As you consider developing a new friendship, consider developing a friendship with a child. Sometimes we forget how valuable our influence can be in a child’s life.
Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:33 …evil communications (companionships) corrupt good manners. Today many children are growing up in families without any moral direction. By developing a friendship with a child, you might be the very person God uses to sow seeds of faith that might encourage him to become a pastor, a pastor’s wife, or a missionary.
Friendships are very important to our lives. My daughter and son-in-law moved to Texas a few years ago. After living in New England all of their lives, they never connected with the people in their new area. Recently, they found a new church where they connected and made some wonderful new friends. These new friendships changed both of their attitudes about living in the state. These friends became a source of strength to them. They encouraged them with their prayers, gave them companionship through some difficult times, relieved their loneliness, and gave them a sense of belonging and purpose.
“A friend is someone who will give you a push when you have stopped, a guide when you are searching, a song when you are sad, a word when you are lonely, and a smile when you are glad.”
Someone once did a survey asking several different people of various ages to write a brief description: What is a good friend?
Here are a few of those descriptions:
“Someone you can bare your soul to and not be afraid it will get around.”
“Someone who has tactful truth and is not afraid to tell you.”
“One who knows you well, but still loves you.”
“A person, who understands you, appreciates your view, and is loyal to you.
“Someone who enjoys being around you, accepts you for who you are, and is faithful to you when the chips are down.”
I came across this definition of a true friend a few years ago, and I loved it.
A friend is a trusted confident to whom I am mutually drawn as a companion and an ally, whose love for me is not dependent on my performance, and whose influence draws me closer to God.
Reach out today and make a new friend. My husband makes a funny statement when he preaches; he says “When I got saved, I lost all my friends—both of them! But today I have friends all over the world.”
Reach out today and make a new friend. I thank the Lord for all of our wonderful friends. They are truly a blessing from the Lord!