Bare Friendship

Bare friendship. 

~ * ~

What does it look like for ourselves? For our characters? How do we become a friend who will stand the test of time?

Some little friends in my house. :)

Below are some of the facets of a what a solid friendship, a bare friendship, looks like:

Honesty

This is the friend will tell me that a certain item of clothing *cough* makes me look fat is unflattering. 

They will point out sin in our lives and gently guide us into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Will say the hard truths even when we might not want to hear them.

~In a story, how could this be played out with a secondary character (the ultra extroverted friend who is honest to a fault, or perhaps a quiet older friend who says something at a low point of a main character's journey to pick them up), or how could the main character develop this trait and show it to someone else?~

Forgiving

We're human. Broken. Flawed. Sometimes, even with the best intentions we can hurt someone else--and they can hurt us.

Colossians 3:13 NIV "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Doing this requires of us, requires of our characters, to strip away those layers and bare ourselves, to say "hey, I'm wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me?". The friend who can live this out can stand the test of time, trials, and silly squabbles.

~What character in your story needs forgiveness? What would it take for your main character to forgive that person? How can you make it harder for them, push those bitter roots to the surface to be dealt with?~

Sacrificial

2 Samuel 24:24 NKJV "Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver." (emphasis mine)

A solid friendship sacrifices for the other person. That sacrifice will cost them something, whether it be time, effort, prayers, money, or resources. 

~What can your character sacrifice for someone else? What is one thing they would never give up--and what would force them to make that sacrifice?~

Generous

This goes hand-in-hand with being sacrificial. This is the friend who shares their chocolate biccy's (cookies to non-Aussies), shares their troubles--and your own, and would more than likely give you the shirt off their back should you need it.

They never give up. Never give up extending the hand of friendship. Are kinder than they need to. Listen without judgement. Love without ceasing.

~What act of generosity can your character perform to highlight a strength/weakness? At a low point what generous action would give your main character/s the courage to get back on their feet and face their trials?~

Christ-filled

We are all at different parts of our journey with Jesus. A faith-filled friend will be growing in his/her own faith--and will encourage us in our own journey. As iron sharpens iron, they will sharpen us.


Through all of this, Jesus is the perfect friend. He loves us in all our weakness, through all of our trials. His love never fails us. The music clip below shows this.

I leave you with "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" sung by Alan Jackson. May we focus on Jesus, thank him for His hand of friendship, and strive to maintain bare, Christ-filled friendships. :)

Lucy Morgan-Jones is a stay-at-home mum to four precocious children by day and a snoop by night, stalking interesting characters through historical Colorado, and writing about their exploits. She enjoys meeting new people from all over the world and learning about the craft of writing. When she can be separated from her laptop, she is a professional time waster on facebook, a slave to the towering stack of books on her bedside table, and a bottler, preserving fruit the old fashioned way so she can swap recipes and tips with her characters. 

Her home is in country Victoria, Australia where she does not ride a kangaroo to the shops, mainly because four children won’t fit.  Represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America.