Friendship Inventory

Take a careful inventory of your friendship life right now. Think of the closest people in your life. Are they supportive of you or are they neutral when it comes to you and your life?

Being neutral is easy. I say that because it requires no effort. You show up when it is convenient. You return text messages if you feel like it. You do what's best for you and it shows. There's no walking the extra mile for a friend when you are being neutral. 

My hometown today. 

I used the word neutral because true enemies are against you. They work to see you fail at any cost. Being neutral is so subtle, most don't even notice it is happening. 

When a friend is supportive of you she listens to your dreams. She is available to encourage you, pray with you, and uplift you. Supportive friends also speak the truth in love. They are not afraid of difficult conversations because it leads to greater unity. 

Let's go back to the closest people in your life. Are they supportive or neutral? If you only have supportive friends, congratulations. If some or a lot of your friends are neutral, proceed with wisdom. 

Wisdom would ask (yourself, not the person at least at first) why is this friend being neutral. You'd be amazed at the insight you will gain. 

The neutral friends I had in the past ended up fading away. Most did not want a conversation about the estate of our friendship. What they wanted was for me to keep filling their friendship tank regardless of my own friendship needs and wants. A lot of times I didn't completely understand why. 

I learned to conduct Godly friendships, even when people were for themselves. After experiencing frustration, I remember calling a wise mentor. I remember praying and asking God for help. Eventually, those friendships faded. 

The important thing was not to give up on supportive friendships. They exist. I had to remind myself that most of my friends are supportive. I also had to remind myself that I am a good friend. 

I'm not sure what it is about difficult friendships that stop us from seeing who we are. It is important to separate our values and worth from those who are not supportive friends. 

Conducting a friendship inventory can be challenging but it is so important. You need to know who is for you and who isn't. The good news is that once the inventory is over, you get to cultivate the type of friendships you want to see in your life. 

Don't be discouraged if your findings are not favorable. Remember to have hope in God who created friendships and who can bless you with true, supportive friends.