Friendship for Men

by Chad Hess

Godly friendships between men based on a shared love of Jesus Christ are a true blessing. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” There are numerous examples of friendship in the Bible, but perhaps my favorite is the bond that existed between David and Jonathan. It is perhaps the best example of friendship ever recorded.

Jonathan was the son of Israel’s first king Saul and a warrior of great renown. When David was the only one willing to stand against Goliath (and, with the power of God, defeat the giant), Jonathan made a covenant with David, stripped himself of his armor and robe “because he loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1-4). We read further in 1 and 2 Samuel how their relationship becomes one of love, admiration, respect and character as they protect and defend one another through the many perils faced, mainly arising from King Saul himself. They endured much together and were only separated by death.

This biblical story from over one thousand years prior to Christ, remains for men today a perfect example of how men in the 21st century should strive to be friends and brothers. We should love, stand by, and stand up for our friends: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). We should spend time together as friends in work, play, conversation and prayer: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). We should choose our friends wisely, and then as Jonathan and David, remain steadfast in our friendship: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Friendship, true friendship, is a rare and beautiful thing. It is something to be sought and closely guarded. In the modern world, we are often isolated from others because of technology and the norms (not necessarily good ones) that surround us. Time spent with a friend should be something that we make an honest effort to achieve. A true Christian friendship is one that aids both members of the friendship to live a life of discipleship, love, giving, responsibility and commitment. Of course, we have no greater friend than our Lord Jesus, but a friend in times of joy and trouble is a gift from God.