Everyone needs a true friend—someone you enjoy spending time with, who encourages you and puts a smile on your face. True friends want the very best for each other and always try to influence each other in a positive way. You are blessed if you can say you have a relationship that embraces these qualities. True friends are rare. Relationships take time to build. A genuine, loyal friend is not common in this world. Love and kindness should be in the middle of the relationship—no jealousy. First Samuel 18:1 (NLT) says, “After David had finished talking with Saul; he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.” True love between friends starts with understanding God’s love for you. First John 4:7 (NLT) tells us, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” And John 15:13 (NKJV) says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” The first true friend is God—and when you understand His love for you, you will be a true friend to others.