Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
There are some things about social media I really love. It’s put me in touch with old friends. I’ve been able to keep up with distant family.
On the other hand, it can also be a source of constant interruption and the obligation to respond to a lot of “friend’s” requests, messages and invitations. If you aren’t careful, it can also become a replacement for actual deep and meaningful friendships that requirement personal investment (time, energy, emotion, etc). We can easily be fooled into thinking online popularity equates to loyalty, intimacy and belonging when it rarely if ever does.
What’s more, what we see and experience online with people is usually far from the reality of their actual life. You are getting only the filtered, keyboard, photoshopped version. It’s like only getting to see someone with their hair done and best clothes on rather than fresh out of bed with cowlicks, bad breath, no makeup, unshaven, scratching their butt.
To have real friends, you must be a real friend. Being a real friend is a commitment and a sacrifice. That’s why over the course of our life the number of true, lifelong, genuinely intimate friends can usually be counted on less than your own fingers.
Think It Over: Are you a real friend to anyone? Do you have any real friends? If no, why not? Is there something you’re hiding, something you’re scared of? Are you waiting for someone else to make the effort first?