In today’s world friend can have many meanings from one truly is a friend… to just a social media friend as an example,” he has over 1000 friends but only  5 that he’s actually knows  face-to-face”

Now that we set aside that obviously not correct definition, aside let’s look at some definitions and uses. 

Friend (noun)

/frend/

1.a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations: 

“she’s a friend of mine”

2.a person who places the other person first in all things. 

“ she stoped what she was doing to help as she her friend.  

3.one who will speak the truth in love when the other is engaging in activities that could be harmful. 

“ because she was her friend, she encouraged to make wise choices about the path her life was taking knowing the choices she was making were bad for her”

4.someone who always has your best interest at heart. 

“ she spoke kindly as her friend to her with words of wisdom”

5.a person who does not judge you. 

“She did not tell her that what she wrong, instead she listened as her friend”

6.a person who words and actions match and are sincere.  

“Because she was her friend she always was true to her words”

7.one whom accepts you just the way you are.

“ regardless of his flaws, she cared about him as his friend “

8.some who loves without condition.

“ she knew that he gave his love as her friend as free gift one  that she could never payback”

9.someone who provides emotional support. 

“ he knew he could always turn to him in the midst of hardship because he was his friend.  

10.a person who lets you make your own choice based on their observations. 

“ because she was her friend she respected her decision, and did not force her own opinion”

11.one who lets you  know that you have meaning and value. 

“ she knew that she was her friend because what was happen to her mattered to her.“

But, right there my human conception of what defines a friends… and the Lord of all heaven and earth speaks His truth softly and quietly to my heart of His definition of friend.

Greater  love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.(John 15: 13-15)

And that’s exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross… He laid down His life so that we can be forgiven through His finishing work of paying price for all our sins, that by faith we can be one with Him and  with our Heavenly Father.  

So you might ask, “how does that apply to my life am I supposed to die for my friends?”

How my heart understands it is that I need to die to my ownself  interests and look at the friends around me and give unconditionally my love and support to them, just as God gives us His love unconditionally and calls us… friend.