When God calls us to be better and kinder versions of ourselves, this does not only mean that we can strive for a happier, healthier lifestyle, but also a strong, passionate network of loved ones to support us. The Bible is riddled with tales of friends gained and friends lost, trials of love and sacrifice for those we love. In Ecclesiastes 4:10, friendship is spoken of as something holy. That “if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” A focus of interpersonal relationships is imperative to God’s message to us, which is to love with reckless abandon, and to keep those we love safe and cared for.

God encourages us always to keep our friendships close to our hearts, and to allow them to see us as who we really are: flawed and imperfect, but still worthy of love and appreciation. It is not only the good times that bring friends together, but the difficult ones as well. Who is there for you when you lose a relationship? Lose a job? Fail miserably? Are you there for your friends when they go through these painful experiences? These questions are important, and they can push you to be a better friend and to seek out those who are truly there for all of you, not just the pretty parts. Just as God is there for you through the thick and thin of life’s trials and tribulations, be there beside your friends and allow them to be beside you while you undergo the crazy, rewarding, and glorifying experiences a life of faith has to offer.