Girls Life Application Study Bible - Flipbook - Page 71
HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND
BE A GOOD LISTENER:
Look your friend in the eye when she speaks
and focus on what she is saying. Instead of interrupting with what
you want to say, take the time to listen (see James 1:19).
be trustworthy: Nothing destroys a friendship faster than
betraying someone’s trust. But a wise friend knows when to keep
a secret and when to get help—for example, if a friend threatens
to harm herself or someone else, or if someone is harming her. If
that happens, talk to a parent, youth pastor, school counselor, or
another trusted adult.
SKILLS
A friend is a great gift. Your closest friends know you best
and will stick with you no matter what. The best way to have
a good friend is to be one. Here’s how:
HOW TO HELP A FRIEND
Friends help friends in need. Here are some actions
you can take to help a friend—just remember the
word HELPER:
H
HEAR Sometimes all your friend needs is a listening
E
EXPAND If your friend thinks she has no way out of a
situation, help her think of new ideas. Expanding her
options can be a great help.
L
P
E
be ready to forgive:
When your friend messes up or hurts
you, be ready to offer forgiveness. Good friends don’t stay angry
at each other.
be a peace maker, not a peace keeper: What’s the
difference? God wants us to be brave and do those things that
make peace between us and our friends. When you are a peace
maker, you deal with the issues. When you are a peace keeper,
you often ignore issues that need to be dealt with just to keep
everyone happy.
8.2
Lend a hand
When your friend needs help with a
task, jump in and help get the job done!
Pray God wants to help us, and nothing is beyond
his ability (see Mark 10:27). In every situation, you
can pray for your friend—even when you can’t do
anything else.
be loyal: Good friends stick together. They don’t let others
come between them, and they stand with each other during
tough times. Your friend needs to know she can count on you.
ear. But if she needs more, listening will help you find
out exactly what she needs.
R
encourage
We all need encouragement. Sometimes
the best way to help is to compliment your friend or
just give her a friendly word (especially if she is feeling
bad about herself). Sometimes it is just being there
without saying anything at all.
refer When a problem is too complicated for you to
handle, you should encourage and help your friend to
find a trusted adult who can help. Referring a friend
to someone else is the best way to help when you
aren’t sure what else to do.
8.3
