People who will…
Jump off a cliff with you…
Go through fire with you…
Wade through water for you…
Save the last piece of biscuit for you…
It feels great to have people like this to be your friend. These are the kinds of people who will be true to you, who will never leave you, who will be with you through thick and thin, through happy times and sad times. It’s possible for you to have a lot of friends, but to find even just one true friend is a real treasure.
So how can you know if your friend is a true friend? What are their characteristics? For me, a true friend is REAL. Meaning, this is someone who is always and completely honest and transparent to me.
True friends can tell you the truth even if it’s painful. Most of the time, we have “friends” who only tell us what we want to hear. And because of this, we get into trouble.
True friends can tell you that your breath stinks, that you smell like you haven’t taken a bath for days, that you have hair coming out of your nose, that you need to start on a diet, and many more. They will not say things they don’t mean just to flatter you. Yes, they are sincere in praising and affirming you, but they are also sincere when there are things that you need to improve on or change.
They are bold enough to tell you the truth because they know that the truth will set you free.
Whether we admit it or not, the truth hurts. But we should understand that even though it hurts, it will make us a better person. Often, these true friends can sound like our mothers and fathers who reprimand us. Why? Because they are concerned about us. Their care is genuine. They don’t want us to get hurt, or get into trouble. Their truthfulness and honesty are rooted in love. Think of parents who love their children very dearly that they discipline them — true friends are just like that. Their intention is to never hurt you, but to help you, to build you up and not tear you down, to bring out the best in you, and not to humiliate you. They will not pull you down, they will not push you to do what is wrong, and they will not put you in harm’s way.
It says in Proverbs 27:5-6, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
This is why if you have a true friend by your side, take good care of that person. Thank that person for being a true friend to you.
A true friend is more valuable than gold or silver.
THINK. REFLECT. APPLY.
Do you have someone in your life who is a true friend?
Do you think that you are a true friend to someone?
What can you do for you to be a true friend?
(Chinkee Tan is a top Filipino motivational speaker, wealth and life coach whose goal is to inform, educate, motivate, and disturb. His vision is to help people become financially-literate and debt-free. For more info about Chinkee Tan, please visit his fan page at FB, Twitter and Instagram. Also follow VIBER PUBLIC CHAT GROUP search chinkee tan, and VISIONCHINKEE on You Tube for more news and encouragements.)
