HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Lesson Eight

FRIENDS (1): 

WHAT IS A FRIEND?

Burden to Impart:

God created mankind with an inborn need of companionship (Gen. 2:18). God met this need for Adam by creating for him a companion, Eve. The need of companionship is also met by friendship. A friend is one we share the same interests with, can talk to honestly, can spend our time with, and share a part of our lives with. Although we may have friends at school and around our home, our brothers and sisters in the church are those who should be our most special friends.

Memory Verse: "And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone" (Gen. 2:18).

Facts to Teach:

  1. Although God created man in a perfect way, man nonetheless had many needs that had to be met in order for him to live and be happy. Man needed food in order to satisfy his hunger, water to satisfy his thirst, and air to breathe. Also, when God saw that Adam was alone He said, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Gen. 2:18).
  2. Because it was not good for man to be without human companionship God created a woman to be his friend and helper.
  3. Even though it is enjoyable to have pets to play with, people do not feel completely satisfied with their company. They are not able to take away the feeling of loneliness, nor can they meet the deep desire God created within man for companionship.
  4. A friend is a companion whom we spend our time with, someone we can play with, do things with, and be with at school, in the church life, or at home. A friend is one with whom we share some common interests.
  5. A friend is someone we can talk to "face to face" (Exo. 33:11) and heart to heart one with whom we can share our feelings and not be afraid of being laughed at or put down.
  6. Some friends may be younger, some may be older, and some may be the same age. Different aged friends meet our need for companionship in different ways.
  7. A friend is someone who is special to us because we like them and choose to share part of our life with them. We have no choice with our brothers and sisters, for we are born in the same family and share our lives together. But this is not so with friends. We choose our friends according to our own desire and selection. So, they are persons who are special to us because we desire to be with them.