We all want friends. Someone to spend time with. Someone to share special moments. Someone to talk to. Someone to go places with. Someone to laugh with. Someone to do life with.

This all sounds so good. We dream about having that one best friend. It’s what we are wanting. It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about it, but there’s one problem. We want all of the benefits of the relationship, but don’t want to invest time or effort into making it be a healthy and thriving relationship.

Friendship isn’t about us. Friendship is about the other person. Of course, I am in no way suggesting that someone should use you for their personal gain with no care or interest in you. That’s no friendship at all. That’s someone taking advantage of you. Stay away from those types of draining relationships.

If only each person were as concerned about the other as himself, then we would have two parties genuinely caring about the other. What is important to you would then become what is important to me. I would pray with as much fervency about your needs as I would mine. I would realize how important the art of listening is rather than being the one who is always carrying the conversation. I would seek to be that shoulder to cry on when times get tough; not soliciting advice, but just being there for the other person. I would seek to shine Christ’s love as a witness to my friend so that they could experience Jesus in the flesh. Actions above words.

We all want the benefits, but we must be willing to put forth the effort. So often, we must be the one to reach out and be the friend. To be proactive in pursuing relationship with others. Most people are waiting on someone else to do this very thing, but we can’t keep living life wishing someone else would be that person. It has to begin with us. It’s time to stop waiting and start being brave. There’s always a risk involved, but you’ll never know unless you take the risk. More times than not, you’ll be so glad that you did.

As you begin investing in relationship with others, you’ll find something unexpected and unexplained begin to happen. As you pour into others, God will begin to pour into you. You don’t set out with the intention of receiving, but it will happen as you share His love with others. You’re simply being the kind of friend that you’ve experienced in Jesus. The blessing is reciprocal.

Be prayerful about who this person is. It may be someone you already know or someone God supernaturally puts in your path. Be a friend to whomever this person is. Friendship is no small matter. It’s vitally important as we all need human interaction no matter our age.

Make that call. Send that text. Find something fun to do and invite someone to join you. Be that friend that they so desperately need. May they be able to say that they have a friend in you. Through thick and thin. Through good and bad. Through happy and sad. They have a friend in you.