Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. Romans 12:14–16 (MSG)
A surprising scientific review by the Brigham Young University team discovered a secret to health. By reviewing studies that involved over 300,000 people, the team found that social isolation was as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day!
Healthy relationships actually help us to stay physically healthy.
We were designed for close relationships—with God and each other—yet many times our friendships stay shallow. One major reason is self-consciousness.
Self-consciousness causes people to feel unlikeable. They believe others will reject them if they really get to know them so they hold people at arm’s length. If a friend is unhappy, they pull away, assuming they did something wrong. Because they wait for friends to come to them instead of reaching out, they find it difficult to form new relationships.
You need to know what God thinks of you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are a child of the King. You are precious in God’s sight. He has great plans for you! Out of that knowledge, you can smile and be friendly no matter how you feel.
Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” Get in the habit of extending friendliness and remain open. Refuse to take things personally. Ask questions if something comes between you and a friend and you will find that your friendships become closer.