I recently heard a story of a girl who had just found out they were pregnant with their second baby but didn't want to tell another friend that recently found out she was pregnant after trying for several years. Why didn't she want to tell her friend this exciting news? Because her friend doesn't like to share the spotlight! Her friend would eventually be excited for her, but not at first. How sad!
That is definitely not a characteristic of a true friend nor the attitude of a follower of Christ! Phillipians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit. But in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.". Scripture is definitely clear on this "stealing my thunder" business!
I am also including the definition of friendship found on wikipedia. Even a secular site recognizes that a true friend desires what is best for the other person. Putting the other person above themselves!
Friendship is the cooperative and supportive relationship between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis. Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other. Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as the exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviors. Yet for some, the practical execution of friendship is little more than the trust that someone will not harm them.
Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis:
- the tendency to desire what is best for the other
- sympathy and empathy
- honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart
- mutual understanding
John and I have several friends who had tried to have a baby and could not. When we found out we were pregnant these friends were truly excited for us! Those are friends you want to keep! So if you have friends that you can't share exciting events in your life with freely then they are not truly a real friend! If you are a person who doesn't like to have your thunder stolen then you need to work on putting others ahead of yourself.
PS... I do want to say that I am so very blessed to have the best friends in the whole world! Love you gals!
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