7 Golden Ways To Make A Friend Closer Than A Brother

Proverbs 18:24 teaches, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, / but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Given the fact that we normally think of blood being thicker than water, this proverb is rather jarring: there are ways that a friend can be more faithful than a brother.

The ESV translates the first line of the proverb this way: “A man of many companions may come to ruin.” In any translation the emphasis is on the plurality of friends. A person with many friends may still run into problems. A large number of friends does not equal help in the time of need. Many popular celebrities have faced this dilemma—they can have thousands of fans, yet fame is fickle, and the fans quickly disappear during difficult times. Our era of social media promotes many superficial connections who are called “friends,” but there are few true friends. Even the most connected can be lonely.

Here are 7 Scooper Ways To Make Friend Closer Than A Brother

Be your own best friend.

Be Enough! Wherever you go, there you are.

Wouldn’t it be great if any situation, you had at least one person you could count on?

And that person is You?

Don’t Buy It.

You don’t have to give gifts, spend money or accept to be a doormat to keep a friend. The friends you buy will not stay anyways. Friends that are genuinely into you will make time for you, for free.

While friendships should be mutually benefiting, real friends will never exploit you.

Similar Values.

While diversity is great in many ways, when it comes to your general values and beliefs, it’s best to keep core friendships with like-minded people. While you can respect others’ opinions and differences, choosing friends that hold similar values to yours will keep you from compromising or being negatively influenced by those that don’t uphold your values and the standards that you govern your life by. When friends have similar values, they can help keep each other accountable.

Attract Greatness

Great people will march to the beat of their own drum.  They push the envelope.  They challenge themselves.  They take on big challenges.  They use their gifts, talents, and special abilities to blaze trails, move Mountains, and change the world, at least theirs. That way, you can be sure that they would inspire you to do the same. Add more amazing people to your life, so that you have a constant barrage of brilliance that can’t help but lift you to new heights.

Let Go Of The Chief Critic

While you need people who can give your constructive critic, surround yourself with people who lift you higher and not dump down your ideas. Your best friends in life are the ones who make you a better person.   They get you, and they know what you’re capable of.  They may even know you better than you know yourself. They inspire you to greatness. They bring out your best by either by supporting you in little ways that add up over time, or by calling you out on your bad behaviours, or by helping you see what your best can be.

Go For Intelligence

Get friends who are about learning, growing and advancing. This way, you can learn from each other. It’s always great to have a friend who can recommend a good book or share information with you to help you on your path. Friends who are avid readers are usually great conversationalists and fun to talk to as well.

Choose People You Can Be Yourself With

You cannot overemphasize this. You need someone that you don’t have to put up performances for. You need someone who can be through thick or thin. Always go for people who are real and you can be real to them.