Top 10 Bible Verses on Friendship

Bible verses on Friendship

Have you noticed how your friends impact your life? Good friends make many positive impacts on your life and good friends can influence you to do what’s right. But, the wrong friends can have a negative effect on your life. The book of Proverbs gives us many insights about friends and friendship. In this post, I’m sharing 10 Bible verses on good friends from Proverbs and how to apply these Bible verses to your life.

Why choosing the right friends is important

Have you ever had a bowl of fruit and one piece of fruit in the bottom has spoiled? What happens to the other fruit?  Do they make the bad fruit good? Nope, the bad fruit starts to spoil the good fruit, too.

Our friends affect us the same way.  In I Corinthians 15:33 we are warned, 

“Do not be deceived, bad company ruins good morals.”  (ESV)

The friends we choose impact us. Our friends influence our behavior and actions for good and for bad.  Good friends guide us toward doing what is right, but bad friends can cause trouble and problems.

Top Bible Verses on Friendship

Because friendship has a deep and impactful influence on our lives (sometimes for many years to come) choosing the right friends is important.  

As we look closely at these Bible verses on friendship, you will see a good friend is a blessing from God.

Bible Verses about Good Friends

1. Proverbs 12:26 – Good friends are chosen carefully

In Proverbs 12:26 it says, “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (ESV)

When we choose our friends, we want them to choose friends carefully. We want to choose friends who will guide and influence us in good and godly ways, not cause us to make mistakes and bad choices.

One way to choose good friends carefully is by observation. When we meet new friends or even old friends, watch how they behave and consider the choices the person makes. Then ask yourself, do I want to be like this person?  

If the person is always in trouble and causing problems, they are probably not a good choice for a close friend.

If the person makes wise choices and does what is right, they would be a good friend.

2. Proverbs 27:17 – Good friends are a Godly influence

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (ESV)

We want to choose our friends carefully because the right friends will be a good influence and can keep us from making mistakes.

Another important reason to have Godly friends is when we ask our friends for advice about situations or events in our lives. If we have good friends, they will give advice based on Christian principles.

Good advice with a Biblical perspective from our friends helps us become better individuals. 

As you choose friends, pick friends that have a strong Christian faith that will help you grow in your Christian faith. Be cautious of friends that will lead you away from your Christian faith.

3. Proverbs 18:24 – Good friends are loyal

Proverbs 18:24 tells us, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” (ESV)

Good friends are loyal and will not leave us when bad things happen. We all need dependable friends and we want to have reliable friends. We should also be dependable friends.

The sting of a friend’s betrayal can hurt us deeply.  Loyal friends are not just there for the good times, but they will also stay with us for the bad and hard times.  

4. Proverbs 16:28 – Good friends don’t gossip or speak badly about you

Proverbs 16:28 warns against gossip, “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.”

Gossip and unkind words among friends cause trouble and many times leads to anger and bad feelings among friends. 

I remember as a teen how easily gossip would be spread and feelings would get hurt among our group of friends.

It’s never a good choice to gossip and speak unkindly. Seek friends that don’t gossip and don’t speak unkindly of you or others. 

5. Proverbs 22:24 – Good friends are not angry or hateful

In Proverbs 22:24 it says, “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man.” (ESV)

We live in a world filled with angry and hateful people. These emotions spread easily to others. Choose friends that are not given to anger and hate.

Anger, hate, and frustration are toxic emotions when we hear them or we embrace them. Stay away from friends who always seem unhappy. Seek friends with positive emotions.

How to be a good friend

6. Proverbs 24: 26 – Good friends speak truthfully to us

Proverbs 24:26 says, “Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.” (ESV)

Have you ever asked a friend for advice and they just affirmed what you asked them? Good friends will not always affirm us. They will give us honest answers and guide us to do what is right.

When we are asking our friends for advice, don’t expect your friends to agree with us if we are making an error. Be happy they have given you true counsel.

7. Proverbs 27:6 – Good friends confront us when we are making mistakes

In Proverbs 27:6 it says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” (ESV)

Sometimes good friends give us advice we don’t request, but we needed to hear. Nobody wants to hear words of rebuke or correction, but good friends will confront us if we are making a mistake.

Listen carefully to these words. Good friends usually don’t rebuke you without giving their words consideration. 

8. Proverbs 13:20 – Good friends help you grow in wisdom

Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (ESV)

One of the great joys of good friends is that they help us grow in wisdom. Good friends share truth with each other.

But, we must be careful not to give weight and consideration to advice from ungodly friends. 

9. Proverbs 12:26 – Good friends guide you in righteousness

In Proverbs 12:26 it says, “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but way of the wicked leads them astray.” (ESV)

Good friends help us do what is right, but bad friends will lead us astray and cause us to make errors.

The choices we make for good or for bad will be influenced by the friends we have chosen. We must always be diligently considering how friends are changing not just our behavior but how we think and what we believe.

10. Proverbs – 17:17 – Good friends love us always

In Proverbs 17:17 states, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (ESV)

When we think about our best friend in life, Jesus, he showed us true love for others. He will never leave us or forsake us.  From his example, we see that friends are willing to sacrifice for friends. 

We can show love for our friends by giving our time, offering to help when they need us, and being available for friends who are struggling.

Good friends are willing to give more and be there for you when no one else is with you.

Be a good friend first

My mom always told me that to find good friends I should be a good friend first.  If we want to have good friends, we need to show all the character traits of a good friend to others like:

  • Being the person a good friend would choose
  • Being a godly influence on others
  • Be a loyal friend
  • Be honest and don’t gossip
  • Provide advice based on Bible principles and Biblical worldwide
  • Teach and encourage your friends to grow in the Christian faith
  • Show love to your friends

Most of us only have a few good friends in life. Some of us have good friends we have known since our childhood.  Choosing good friends when we are young can result in life long friendships.

The Bible has much to say about friends and how friends will shape and influence our lives for good or for bad. As we choose friends, we must carefully choose friends that will influence in positive ways. The advice from these 10 Bible verses on friendship in Proverbs provides us great insights on how to choose good friends.

YOUR TURN…

What is your favorite Bible verse on friends or friendship?

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