It’s Monday morning (ugh), and you just found out the person you wanted to ask to the dance has gotten another date (double ugh). Thank goodness no one except your best bud knew about your plans. At least you won’t look like a total freak. But no sooner than you wipe the sweat from your brow, you hear two people gabbing on the other side of the room.
They’re talking about you! They’re saying how embarrassing it must be that the whole school knows someone got to your prospective date before you did!
“How could this happen?” you think to yourself, when your best friend rounds the corner.
“I was sure you would get your date! How was I supposed to know?”
Suddenly, “best friend” means “total letdown,” and you wonder if you’ll ever trust anyone again!
Friends are supposed to watch your back so, when they dump on you, it can really hurt. But when they are there for you, it can be the coolest feeling in the world.
Get to know these six steps to ensure you’re the type of friend who won’t let others down (at least not on purpose!).
1. Treat Friends Like You Want To Be Treated
Putting yourself in your best friend’s kicks is the first and biggest step toward a stellar friendship. Once you have this one down, everything else gets that much easier!
Just think about what you want in a bud, and then be that person to others. Johnny, 13, says a friend is, “someone who helps you, encourages you, humors you and likes hanging out with you.”
Leslie, 13, says a friend is “someone who stays with you ‘til the end, someone who is not a backstabber. A good friend is loyal, helpful, caring, and can keep a secret.”
When you have a friend who is dealing with a tough situation, imagine what you would feel like if you were in her place. Think about what you would want a friend to do for you in such a situation, and then do exactly that for your friend. When you treat others the way you want to be treated, you become the best friend anyone could imagine.
2. Get Over The Groups
The quickest way to put the brakes on a friendship before it even revs up is to think you are better than someone else. Maybe you are avoiding someone because he is not in the same group, or clique, even though you know you could probably help him with something he is going through or just be his pal. You never know, his friendship might turn out to be priceless.
3. Be Slow To Point Fingers
When someone does something wrong, the first thing people often want to do is point it out to them or someone else. Feel like finger-pointing? Hold up! First, decide why you want to point out someone’s flaws. Is it because you care about the person, or is it because you feel superior when others slip up?
Even if a friend has thrown you under the bus, trying to retaliate by painting that person in a bad light is just all wrong. You want to be a great friend, right? Well, a great friend wouldn’t do that. When someone hurts you to does something wrong, let your anger simmer down before you do or say things you would not normally do or say. Remember that the way you treat others is often how you will get treated in return!
If you need to confront the person about what he did, talk to him about it – alone, not in front of the whole group. There are times, though, when it is necessary to tell others what happened, especially if someone physically hurt you or threatened you.
4. Be Secretive
A cool way to be a super friend is to do something nice for someone on the sly. It’s always fun to get a secret surprise from a friend and to try to figure out who the culprit is. And if you do things without expecting to have roses thrown at you for it, one day, you’ll get a better thanks that you ever imagined!
5. Take A Risk – Care Enough To Tell
If a friend you care about is making careless decisions, it’s important to have the courage to talk to him about it. Maybe your friend is doing drugs or lying to his parents. Even n though it might seem bossy to tell a friend he needs to change, it’s often the right thing to do. In the end, he might even thank you.
Good friends always tackle tough situations head-on because they care about doing what’s right more than they care about being rejected. And helping a friend will almost always make you feel grrrreat!
6. Be Trustworthy
It might sound hokey, but honesty is the best policy. And it’s a major must it you want to be a friend others can trust. When people trust you, they believe you will always tell the truth, that you genuinely want what is best for others and that you will never betray them.
A good friend will always try to do those things, and there is one friend you can have who will always succeed! That person is Jesus, God’s Son and He will never let you down. He is the best friend you could ask for because not only does He want what is best for you, He also has the power to make it happen.
Jesus loves you unconditionally, and He will always be there for you. He wants to be your friend, and that’s why He came to earth 2,000 years ago. He came to show His love and to invite people to have a friendship with Him.
