Friends Are Rare

“For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.”

1 Chronicles 12:22

Friends actually play a major role in the building of a solid 2:24 Unit. True friends will support you both through good times and bad. Bad friends can’t wait to see you miserable because why else? Misery loves company.

Learning to foster sound, affirming friendships is very similar to the way we invest in our own marriage. Friendships require vulnerability. Without it, there can never be an intimacy between you. This is where the distinction of friends and acquaintances is most profound.

The latter have bonds of loyalty, mutual admiration, and even sacrifice, but beyond occupational obligations, the absence of intimacy is where lines are drawn at the job, the gym, or the gang who heads out for an after-work happy hour.

Most of us purposely keep others at a stiff arms distance. Once we’ve been on the job a while, it also becomes the standard distance for family, parents, and siblings, as well as anyone else. Men especially need other men as friends. But caution is key in determining who inspires you versus those who consume your energy and leave you drained.

We isolate ourselves, and while we may stand in formation with hundreds of brothers and sisters in blue, we are alone. But, friends are just a greeting and call away. Actually, there are lots of cops sitting at home alone right now, because of divorce, addiction, depression; who would give anything for a friend.

CALL TO ACTION:

This call to action opened my eyes years ago, and although it was painful, it helped me to understand the reality of friends. This really pertains to you men because we seem to have trouble opening up to friendship.

Write out a list of your friends. Do not include people you work with or your spouse’s friend who you only know because of them.

Identify actual people you would confess your sin to without having to worry about them breaking your trust. If you have around five, consider yourself blessed. If you have between none and one, consider yourself an average adult.