Second only to romantic relationships, friendships are a dynamic I love exploring because there is so much to reflect on. If we’re honest with ourselves, cultivating healthy friendships and building community as believers isn’t easy. Some morals, values, and expectations we set for romantic relationships are the same for friendships, though they may look different in practice. As men and women of faith, it’s impossible to journey through life without developing a few or even a group of healthy, sustainable friendships. But what does that look like for us? How do we create and, more importantly, maintain them?
I’ve had my fair share of friendship breakups—wounds that cut more profound than those from romantic relationships. I’ve experienced unmet expectations, disappointment, betrayal, and pain. From a victim’s perspective, it would be hard to see how these experiences, though not intended by God, were used by Him to refine my character. God may not always plan these traumatic or …