Why Don't I Have Any Close Friends?

Now that we’ve looked at God and looked at the family, it’s time to turn to the third of the seven relationships Jesus prioritized while he was on Earth—his inner circle of close friendships.

We’ll get into how Jesus viewed friendships in more detail next week, but a few preliminary points need to be made. First, unlike family relationships that often remain with us to the grave, friendships are often more temporal. If you’re like most people, the friends you had in high school and university are different from the ones you have today.

Sure, you might have a handful of close friends that stick with you for life. But most are more tied to geography, common interests, and stages of life than we might want to think.

Close friendships are essential, and they should rank near the top of our investment portfolio. But the older I get, the more my views of friendship evolve. When I was in my early twenties, I viewed friendship more idealistically. If I was close to someone then, I assumed I would remain close friends five years later. But I soon discovered this wasn’t the case.

Instead, friendships are more like chapters we pencil into an outline. They are only with us for a season until someone turns the page. Some friendships last for decades–others only a few years. But each friendship is important, and how we invest our bread (Beliefs, Resources, Energy, Affections, and Dedication) determines the quality of the friendships we build.