'Sticky' Friends

Proverbs 18:24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.


In my personal reading and study, I almost always use one of two translations of the Bible: the English Standard Version or the New Living Translation. When I read this passage, I was using the NLT (which is printed above). Although the ESV is a newer translation, the NLT is more "modern"; and that impacted the way that I read this verse.

In this passage, the NLT uses quotation marks in "...'friends' who destroy each other..." as a modern, tongue-in-cheek way of indicating that friends who destroy each other are not really friends at all. I think we have all witnessed that in one way or another; whether you have experienced that firsthand or not. We've all seen friendships that were based on something temporary and trivial implode, but we've also seen two people, who seemed to be great friends, slowly drift apart and then proceed to start tearing each other apart, whether with words, physical actions, or attitudes.

So what is a real friend? What does that sort of relationship look like?

To me, a real friend, someone who is in my 'core' group of friends knows more of you than you would ever show to a casual acquaintance. For me, a real friend is someone who is more than a casual acquaintance that also happens to be nice, fun, and trustworthy. A real friend is someone I have intimacy with, someone I can count on in all situations, and someone who knows and believes in my character and values enough to stand up for them. (Maybe this is why I've always had a very small, quality group of close friends...)

If you identify with my description of my real friends, you know how important they are; how awesome it is to have a real friend. From what I know about God's character and from what I've read in His Word, I fully believe that God wants us to have real friends. I also believe that if we are Christian, we should emulate the character of God and we should want other people to have real friends too.

We see people every day in our schools, jobs, and families that could benefit greatly from having a real friend. It's time for us to step up and be that friend.