This is Best Friends Day.

Five years ago, who was your best friend? How about three years ago? What about right now? Friends change over the years. When we’re very young, our good friends usually come from the neighborhood. Later, we form friendships with people who have the same interests. We might meet them at church, on a sports team, in choir, in a club, or something similar.

Maybe you’re the kind of person who has several very good friends and not one best friend. Either way, having good friends is important. Everyone wants and needs someone to be close, to care, to listen, to counsel, and to help.

So how are those friendships formed? And what makes a good friend anyway? Many factors can cause a friendship to begin. Two, as already mentioned, are living near each other and sharing interests and activities. Regardless of how a friendship begins, however, something else has to happen to make it go deeper.

For example, a good friend listens to you, without interrupting. A good friend cares about you, genuinely wanting the best for you. A good friend is honest with you, telling you the truth, even if it hurts. A good friend offers to help when you’re in trouble or have a need. And a good friend sticks by you, even if every one else seems to be deserting. Check our first verse for today. It highlights the last two of those characteristics.

Now that you know what a good friend is, apply those same statements to your friendship performance. In other words, what kind of friend are you? If your friends were interviewed about you, would they say that you listen, care, are honest, help, and are loyal?

If you want to have good friends, you’ll have to be one yourself.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. (Proverbs 17:17)

As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:17)

To Do

Write a note to your “best friend” or one of your very good friends, and thank this person for his or her friendship. Be specific. And spend a few moments praying for this friend.

Also on this day . . .

This is National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day (diet anyone?).

1786—In New York City, commercial ice cream was manufactured for the first time.

1925—Barbara Bush, wife of President George H. W. Bush, was born.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.