4. Be a positive person
The most consistent comment I hear about what people want in friendships is this: “I want a friend I can laugh with.” We all want friends we can enjoy! People who consistently bring us down with their problems and complaints are generally not the ones we want to pal around with（结交） for any length of time. Of course, sometimes a friend will go through a difficult time, and we need to be ready and willing to hold a hand and provide a listening ear. But a friend in need is different than a habitual whiner（经常性的哀述者）. We want our friendships to be positive and uplifting — and that means we must be positive, uplifting friends ourselves.It has been said that there are two kinds of people: those who brighten the room when they enter, and those who brighten the room when they leave. Let’s make sure we’re brightening our friendships with our presence. They are generous with praise, with smiles, and with love, remembering what Francis Bacon said: “Friendship doubles joys and halves griefs.”
3. Be loyal
Loyalty is a rare commodity in today’s world, but it’s an absolute requirement in true and abiding friendships. When we are loyal to one friend, we prove ourselves worthy of many.One way we show our loyalty is through our words. In fact, a key to being loyal is keeping a tight rein on our tongues. If we’re loyal, we won’t tear a friend down behind her back or share her personal story without her permission. It’s easy to gossip or pass judgment; it’s much harder to keep silent. As positive men, we need to make sure our tongues are used for good and not evil. We should be builders with our words, not demolishers.Jealousy, envy, and a range of other negative emotions can keep us from being loyal. But true loyalty overcomes all of them.
5. Appreciate the differences in others
Variety is the spice of life（生活的调味品）. I’m so glad that when I walk into an ice cream store, vanilla （香草） isn’t the only option! I’m glad, too, that God created people with a variety of personalities, talents, and interests. Each one of us is a unique creation. Mixed together we blend to form the body of Christ.
6. Build on common interests What is it that brings friends together in the first place? There is usually something that draws us to others — a common hobby, a sport, a Bible study, a volunteer project, a children’s activity. In our busy society, it can be difficult to create times to get together with people. But if we take advantage of the common activities and interests we have with others, we can fit the time for friendship into our schedules. If you and a friend both like to exercise, work out together. If you both like to read, go to the bookstore together to pick out your next selection, grab some coffee, and talk about the last book you read.
2. Be a giver, not a taker
Ask not what your friends can give to you but rather what you can give to your friends. What can we give to others? How about a smile, a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, help with an errand, a prayer, an encouraging note, a meal? We can come up with many things to give others if we are willing to be attentive to their needs. Giving may take time. It may take us out of our way. But giving and self-sacrifice are part of the definition of love.
7. Be open, honest, and real
The word hypocrite（伪君子） originally described actors on a stage who covered their faces with masks to conceal their real identities. Today the word describes people who pretend to be something they’re not. True friendship cannot be built on false images. We must be true to ourselves. We may think we have to present a faultless picture of ourselves to the rest of the world, but why? No one wants to be friends with someone who is perfect! We simply need to be our best selves and allow people to know the real us.Of course, being open and honest doesn’t mean spilling our guts （把自己知道的一切原原本本的说出来） to everyone. George Washington offered some wise words about friendship when he said, “Be courteous（有礼貌） to all, but intimate（亲密） with few; and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity .”
LOGO
What kinds of characteristics should a good friend have?
Company Logo
7 Kinds of Characteristics
1 2 3 4
Take a genuine interest in others