Last night in Woman of Worth, we discussed friendship. As an activity, we made friendship soup!

We discussed the importance of choosing friends wisely, forgiveness, and the number one friendship killer–gossip. Someone asked Jesus how many times do we forgive a friend?

Jesus says to him, “I say to you not up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven! Matthew 18:22

Meaning…..we know up front we will hurt others, and they will hurt us, so get your forgiveness game on. Recognizing that consistent, harmful relationships should end. We challenged ourselves to remember this guideline:

The best way to handle conflict in a relationship is to go to the person and talk it out.  If you need guidance on the matter go to a trusted adult, not another friend and gossip about that person.

As we went through the lesson, we wrote characteristics and qualities of a good friend and made friendship soup:

Our Ingredients:

• Affectionate
  Able to be trusted
  Loving
  Love
  Trustworthy
  Good Listener
  Would never harm you
• Has your back
• Sense of humor
• Cheerful
• Encourages you
• Caring
• Influences you in the right way
• Kind
• Similar values and grow together
• Sympathy
• Not ashamed to be with you
• Compassion
• To be loyal, faithful
• Selflessness
• Happy
• Common goals
• Good listener; Someone who won’t judge
• Take the time to help you
• Forgiving
• Keeps your secrets
• Someone who thinks of others
• Godly influence
• Companionship
• Attentiveness
• Thoughtful
• Someone who will hold you accountable to the Lord
• Can act like “the bigger man”
• Competitive to challenge me
• Unstoppable
• Consistent
• Doesn’t gossip a lot
• Comforter
• Doesn’t tear you down
• Not afraid to say it if they think you did something wrong
• Helps in your time of despair; talks to you
• undramatic: who brings happiness and no guilt

Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

WOW!  What a great reminder of friendship.  We began and closed the lesson reminding each other that God is our first and perfect friend who can help us be a true friend to those He puts in our lives.