True friends

Austin Gardner • July 19, 2022

I don’t ever want it to be said that I was a silent friend!

Friendship is one of the sweetest gifts that God has ever given us. We can't make sure our friends stay friendly but we certainly can be the friend we believe in. John C. Maxwell writes the following in his book Winning with People: Discover the People Principles That Work for You Every Time.


Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” I don’t ever want it to be said that I was a silent friend!


False friends are like our shadows, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine but leaving us when we cross into the shade. Real friends stick with us when trouble comes. As the old saying goes: in prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends.


If there are people in your life who would go to battle with you, value them, for they are rare indeed.


It’s said that a friend is someone . . .

 

who will keep your secrets and never divulge them—even if tortured or tempted with chocolate (or in my wife’s case, Krispy Kreme doughnuts).

 

who will quietly destroy the photograph that makes you look like a beached whale.

 

who knows you don’t know what you’re talking about but will let you reach that conclusion independently.

 

who goes on the same diet with you—and off it with you too.



Read other posts about friendship


A True Friend Sticks

Showing Real Friendship

Are you a real friend


By Austin Gardner September 13, 2026
How Faith, Focus, and Quiet Steadiness Help You Finish What You Start
By Austin Gardner September 12, 2026
Stepping Out into the Unknown with Courage and Faith
By Austin Gardner September 11, 2026
Five Marks of a Leader Worth Training
By Austin Gardner September 10, 2026
You will not find ready-made leaders. You will have to ask, watch, and walk with the ones He gives you.
By Austin Gardner September 9, 2026
Four things Jesus did on purpose that most of us skip when we train someone.
By Austin Gardner September 8, 2026
Five passages that settle the question, from the Great Commission to Paul's last letter.
By Austin Gardner September 7, 2026
You must change your opinion before God can change your ministry.
By Austin Gardner September 6, 2026
Passing the Torch Early: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Church Planting
By Austin Gardner September 5, 2026
Why the next chapter of missionary work depends on who you train, not just what you build
By Austin Gardner September 4, 2026
Rethinking Global Missions: Why Local Leaders Are the Ultimate Strategy