Have it ever crossed your mind about what it takes to be a true friend?

Or maybe, what is a true friend actually like?

Sometimes I think to myself, do I actually have a true friend? Yes, I have many best friends but I don't know if they are my true friends. (Not trying to offend anyone, just a thought.) Steven and Pastor Reuben had been preaching about friends for the past two weeks which brought me to this thought.

Like Steven said, you have a true friend when you have a "Jonathan" in your life. For those who don't know who that is, Jonathan is a very close friend of David's in the Bible. Jonathan and David’s bond was so strong that they promised to never let anything come between them. Yet, Saul (the king), upon hearing the people praise David in singing, sought to kill David from that day forward.

Jonathan warned David and interceded for him so often that he put his own life in danger, one time narrowly escaping death at the hand of his father. He even risked his life by traveling a great distance to see David in hiding, knowing that his father surely had spies watching every move. And he did this knowing that David would ascend to the throne in his place. Understanding that he must decrease while David increased, he pledged to stand loyally beside him.

Come to think of it, will any friend of mine give his/her life for me? Or will I do that for a friend?

"A true friend rejoices in your joys and sorrows over your pains."

True friends are people who stick with you through thick and thin or the ups and downs. But what if they only stick with you when you're down? When you're feeling happy, they don't bother talking to you whereas when you're feeling gloomy and all, they start firing questions at you. Are these called friends or just people who want to dig for information about your life?

There was once I had a terrible breakdown due to relationship issues and when I started tweeting about it, many came and asked what happened and all. After they knew what happened, wishes such as "Cheer up" "Everything will be okay" "It will be over soon" came and they left and that's all. They don't even stay in regular contact with me but just popped out of all sudden to question me. How does that make a friend who sticks with you through your bad times?

"A good friend accepts you for who you are."

God has placed a lot of good friends in my life and I'm grateful to have them. Some have been there through my good times and my bad times. I could even be myself at home in front of some of them like Woo and Suet Ling. They've definitely seen the unglam side of me. But at the end of the day, there's not really a friend whom I can spill all my problems or issues to despite how shameful it is. I am the type of person who keeps all my problems to myself simply because I am ashamed of myself.

I pray that God will soon place a "Jonathan" in my life or make me a "Jonathan" in someone's life. Until then, I can only think of Jesus as my true friend.