Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near than a brother who is far away.
Proverbs 27:10
What are the qualities of a true friend? How can you be a better friend? Proverbs gives us a profile of a true friend.
1. A true friend is present
Do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near. (27:10). When calamity comes you can’t show up at your brother’s house if you only have a distant relationship. Cultivate friends who are nearby. These are the people who will be there for you when trouble comes. A true friend will be present in times of trouble.
2. A true friend brings sweet counsel
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel (27:9). A true friend speaks into your life in a way that always does you good. Because the true friend has deep access to your life, he or she is able to tell you things that others would not. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (27:6).
3. A true friend loves at all times
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (17:17). When Jesus came to Gethsemane, the friends who loved Him forsook Him. When Paul first stood trial, no one stood with him. But he says, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17).
How can you be a true friend? By your presence, your words, and your love. To become that kind of friend, you need to walk with someone who can be that kind of friend to you.
In which of these three areas could you become a better friend?
