i didnt know nothing about friendships in middle and high school because my dad and his family never gave me any help like counseling, and never teach me anything. they never said nothing positive and nice about me. they never mentioned about "friendships" to me.
so how did you know about friendships?
The bible says ... that to gain a friend, you must show yourself friendly. All that means is that we must not stay to ourselves. God said that it is not good for us to live our lives completely alone.
But this means that we must be willing to take the risk of reaching out to those whom we encounter in life.
We reach out by asking the people we are among ... about how they are doing, ... what their day has been like, are they enjoying the event (church service, concert, weather, etc.).
People will respond when you approach them this way. All of these interactions won't result in actual friendships, ... but some of them can.
For a christian, the most obvious place where we might find people open to sharing our life and friendliness ... is through regular attendance and participation in church. Particularly when you work with others as a team ... you will come to know those individuals and they will come to know you, ... and you will probably gain some friends.
But you can do the same thing at work, ... or in other activities that you share with other people. If I were female, I would probably limit my friendliness to other females ... or to men that I already know that I can trust.
I will share that this has been a lifelong challenge for me, as well, as I am naturally introverted. I eventually began to try to minister to people through friendliness ... smiling at them, speaking to them, ... asking about their day and interests, ... without expecting anything in return.
BUT, in return, I have gained friends.
