fRiEnDsHiP...

Isn't it true in our day, that we are too quick to call people friends?

Friendship is an important subject. We all can relate to it, but far too many don't understand it. A misunderstanding is bound to happen when we fail to clearly define our friendships. Some of us have already paid that price. There is a difference between an acquaintance and a friend.

When we fail to define our friendships, others will eventually get hurt, feel rejected, and even become alienated. Have you ever heard the words, "I thought he was my friend"? Perhaps you have said those very words. Well, could the problem be that you have not defined what kind of friendships you have?

Friendship can be defined on three (3) levels:

Level One: Friendship of Pleasure: "We have fun times together" Birthday parties, weddings, take vacations together. Here we do things together for the mere purpose of having fun. We don't necessarily call one another when we have needs.

Level Two: Friendship of Utility: "We help each other in times of need" You need a ride to a place, borrow or lend money, a business partner, you need a text book to borrow, you need someone to baby-sit your children for the weekend. The people that we often remember only when we need help, are friends of utility. We reintroduce them into our lives when we have a need.

Level Three: Friendship of Character: "We build each other up for life" This is the highest level of friendship. This is a true friend. True friends can speak into our lives. They are not standing on the fringes afraid that we will be offended by what they have to say to us. If you cannot speak into or be spoken into without the fear of alienation, you do not have a true friendship.