Why Are Friendships So Hard

Why are friendships so hard? You would think, especially in Christian circles, that relationships and friendships would come more naturally or with greater ease. We are instructed to love another as Christ has loved us, to be prime examples of acceptance, warmth, encouragement, to show no partiality. But my own experience, as of late, has been that relationships are a ton of work, and even then there is no guarantee the friendship with gain momentum and progress.

Part of the struggle is that I have encountered so many differing views of what a "social life" for believers should entail. I wish there was some biblical manual on social relationships. I suppose Adina and I have a particular idea of how we should balance time for each other, time with our boys individually, time as a whole family, and time with friends. And that view, as I am learning, is not necessarily a popular one - we are not so inclined to whimsically and spontaneously stay up late watching movies and drinking beer multiple nights of the week with friends (which seems to be the pervasive norm among many younger couples).

We want great friendships - I am sure of that. But we want friendships that have a particular tenor or nature, that possess a specific quality to them. That quality is becoming harder and harder to find. Lord, give us wisdom in how to relate to one another!