The Importance of True Friendship
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born of adversity” (Prov. 17:17). This Proverb emphasizes the importance of loyal love. To nurture strong relationships with God, family, and friends, we must prioritize love and faithfulness. Solomon suggests that a faithful friend is as valuable as a family member who will support us through a crisis.
Unconditional love is the bedrock of lasting and healthy relationships. “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man” (Prov. 3:3-4). As a friendship develops, love and loyalty are the qualities that will create a solid and satisfying bond.
A friend who loves “at all times” is a friend who loves even in times of hardship and trial. Fair-weather friends come and go but, in times of trouble, we discover who our true friends are. A genuine friend will exhibit unselfish, sacrificial love by staying at our side despite adversity.
Jesus Christ is the epitome of a friend who loves at all times. The depth of Christ’s unconditional love is seen when He “loved His own to the end,” that is, to the uttermost limits of love. Jesus always loves us. He has since the beginning of time and will throughout eternity (Romans 8:35, 38–39). While He served on earth, Christ loved through sacrificial service, washing the disciples’ feet, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and setting people free from sin. He also loved with the ultimate sacrifice of laying down His life on the cross for our sins (1 John 4:9–10).
Because Jesus is a friend who loves at all times, we must love as He does. Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:12–15).
Jesus calls His disciples to love one another. The second of the greatest commandments is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is also called the “royal law.” Paul explained it like this: “Love does no wrong to others, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). Jesus’ disciples are taught to “Have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
Love will cover a multitude of sins but dwelling on them, separates close friends. If we want to be a friend who loves at all times, we must “always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of [our] love” (Ephesians 4:2, NLT). We must be willing to forgive the offenses of others, especially when they sin against us.
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