Promise Keepers NZ | Friendship

10 Things I've learned about Friendship

1	Take Inventory. Am I open to friendship? What barriers must be removed? What has blocked relationships in my life?
2	Take The Initiative. Don’t wait for others to take the first step.
3	Focus on others. Show an interest in them, but don’t pressure them to respond. Be committed to their best interests (Phil 2: 1-7)
4	Be transparent. If you want real friends, you have to be willing to share about yourself. James says, “Confess your sins to one another, so that you may be healed” (James 5:16, NASB).
5	Accept others. Let them be who they are. Allow for differences. Don’t write a script for how they must respond.
6	Pay the price. Invest time. Christ and the 12 disciples were together constantly. Stick close in adversity. (see Prov. 18:24)
7	Avoid emotional dependency. In the bonds of true friendship, each person maintains his own identity.
8	Eliminate competition. Get rid of the male one-up contests. Your goal is to build your friend, not inflate your own ego.
9	Care enough to counsel or confront. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”. (Prov. 27:6). “A man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.” (Prov. 27:9).
10	Know your own boundaries. Recognize when someone is asking too much of you. Respect your own limitations of time and personal space.