"Men appear to have suffered disproportionately in the collapse of friendships. In 1990, a majority (55%) of men had at least six close friends. Today, only 27% report having this number of close friendships. Single men are in even worse shape..." - IFS
"Do I need friends from different ideological camps? These questions, of course, are relevant to Christians: should we also value friendships like this?" - TGC
"There are friends that are truly friends and then there are those whose interest in you only relates to their benefit. There are several keys to a good friendship." - P&D
"There is a kind of ministry that is without words, and sometimes the best way to help others is to simply share with them in their pain. As the preacher of Ecclesiastes said, there is 'a time to speak and a time to keep silent'" (Eccl. 3:7). - Jake Bier
By M.R. Conrad. Reposted from Rooted Thinking.
How do you choose your friends? Your mom likely helped you choose your first friends. She probably told the mothers of your classmates, “I want my kids to have good friends so they stay out of trouble.” University professors exhort their students to network to gain connections to move up in their fields. “It’s not what you know but who you know,” the experts often repeat. But left on your own, how do you go about choosing friends? What common interests draw you to other people? What are you looking for in a friendship?
At age 25, Henry Martyn boarded a ship for India.1 You might call him the “Father of Tentmaking Missions.” Nobody calls him that, but that’s what he did in 1806 long before tentmaking trended in missiological circles. He took a job as an Anglican chaplain for the East India Company so he could take the gospel to countries in Asia and the Middle East that did not welcome missionaries. Arriving in Calcutta, Martyn traveled north to Serampore to befriend William Carey and his team of Baptists.
"The process of helping someone else improve their effectiveness absolutely requires a positive relationship. Earlier in this same chapter (Proverbs 27:6, NASB) it says,'Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.'" - GARBC
