Before starting a friendship with a person, one must first ask oneself according to what criteria one chooses one's friends. The criteria by which we choose our friends reflect our spiritual level. When a person chooses his friends according to his material needs, then the friendship will be temporary because as the needs of the 2 people begin to differ, each will go his own way resulting in the extinction of the friendship. True friendship is based on spiritual maturity, not egocentric need.
God dwells in every human being. Some people know this truth while others ignore it. 2 persons who feel the presence of God in their lives know that true friendship is based on trust, respect, and availability so those 2 persons can create a true friendship with each other. Such friendship is founded on the love of God because God brings people who trust in Him closer to each other. Respect and the common goal for good make this friendship creative but also long-lasting.
Man must first establish a friendship with God, in order to become trustworthy and able to establish a proper friendship with his fellow man. This means that God teaches us to choose our friends regardless of our personal interests because we understand that God created us so that His love brings us all closer. We also learn that friendships affect the course of our lives, which is why we need Divine Wisdom to choose the right people around us. Difficulties strengthen friendships because, in such moments trust, availability, trustworthiness, honesty, and love are tested. Difficulties, therefore, lay the foundation of a true friendship and remind us that we all need friends in our lives. However, the guarantee of a good friendship is based primarily on one's relationship with God.
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