One of my favourite sitcoms is Friends. The way six individuals, three girls and three guys, come together and have this unexpected yet delightful friendship. It is a true friendship, full of banter, humour, and most importantly, endless love and support for each other.
Monica Geller – a clean-freak and a hardworking chef.
Phoebe Buffay – a talented musician, guitar player and songwriter.
Rachel Green – the waitress, providing endless coffee.
Chandler Bing – a notoriously sarcastic statistical analyst.
Joey Tribbiani – always hungry, and an actor.
Ross Geller – palaeontologist and well-known for three marriages and three divorces.
No matter what the situation, they get each other, they share their hardships, support each other through it and come out the other side stronger than before.
Here are some lessons we can all take from Friends and apply to our own friendships:
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Be honest and open
Monica and Chandler hid their relationship from the rest, but that ended up being a “burden”. If you’re willing to be vulnerable with your friends, and honest from the get-go, your friendships will be based on a foundation of trust, which is always better than lies and deceit. The Bible tells us to be honest, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” (Proverbs 12:22)
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Find things in common
Whether its coffee at the local cafe, watching a basketball game together or going to the movies. Finding something in common that you all love to do will help you bond and have fun together! Doing such things allow you to make memories, memories you’ll cherish forever! After all, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” (Proverbs 17:22)
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Food and coffee are all you need
The Friends cast basically live at the local café sipping coffees and ordering pizza for dinner… What a dream! My point is food brings people together and it is a social thing that all of us love. So, grab your friends, order in or hit the restaurants, enjoy some food together, enjoy being together and making memories! Julia Child, an American Chef sums it up nicely, “People who love to eat are always the best people.”
PS. Don’t be like Joey because Joey doesn’t share food – instead, share your food!
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Good friends will always be there for you
When you have some truly wonderful people around you, those who support, trust, believe and love you, you know you’ve got some ‘keepers’. If you’re unsure of which ones are true friends, ask God for guidance, because “friends become our chosen family”. Whether you’re at the prime of your life, or at the lowest of lows, those special people should be there for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
Don’t forget, you can always count on another friend too, His name is Jesus!
WRITER: Julie Pavaday, attends Plenty Valley Church (VIC).