Tips on Managing Friendship

Many people do not know that friendship is an art.

It requires some level of understanding to survive in a wide variety of friendships.

Below are some tips that can help you handle different kinds of friendships:

1. The first thing to realize is that not all friends are relevant for all times. Some friends are only useful for a season because of what they offer and their peculiarities.

Platonic friendships, that is, the asexual friendships between a man and a woman may not always last.

Once one of the parties gets married, the friendship is expected to fade off for obvious reasons. Otherwise, crisis could set in if the spouse of the married party is averse to such relationships.

Not every spouse would like their partner to retain a previous relationship and extend it into marriage.

Most friendships are for a season.

2. There are intimate friendships and casual friendships. Both require different approaches. You cannot confide in a casual friend like you would an intimate friend.

The level of intimacy determines the seriousness of the relationship.

You may not take a casual friend home, for instance, or keep something important in their care. That is something to note.

3. An acquaintance or neighbour, may not be a friend. The fact that someone is a neighbour doesn’t mean they are your friend. You only know them because you see them often. You can’t stand as a guarantor in any transaction including bail, for such a person.
4. A coworker, classmate, or some kind of comrade may or may not be a friend if you do not bond. It’s wrong to assume that someone is your friend because you are colleagues.
5. You may have a relative who is also a friend and vice versa. Some are mere relatives, you do not have any direct relationship with them. You cannot treat such a person as a friend, they are mere relatives.
6. An old friend. These types of friends have been well known over a long period. If you have developed some trust in them, they are worth keeping, especially if they are valuable in some way.
7. A new friend is worth having but you have to be careful. Do background checks on them before you get closer. You have to be alert and carefully study them before you get intimate.
8. Spouse-friend: in some marriages, the partners are close friends, but in some, they’re not. It’s better to be friends with your spouse. Such marriages tend to last longer.
9. When you are not a friend of your partner, things won’t go right. Try to share a common interest and develop intimate friendships. It is a booster to your marriage.
10. God. Make God your friend. He is the most reliable friend whom you can trust without caution or regret.

God called Abraham a friend. It shows that anyone can be friends with God. If you develop an intimate relationship with God, rest assured, that He will be your friend. How do you develop friendships with God? Through faithful service, prayer, praise, and unconditional love of God.

Then, who can be your enemy if God is your friend?