One of the most precious of life's experiences is friendship.  A friend is someone who cares for your well being; who will tell you your faults and stick by you in spite of them; a person who shares the ups and downs, and the mundane.  Friends share common interests and have an emotional bond that supersedes being mere acquaintances. 

The best friendships survive conflicts, misunderstandings and even time and space.  A good friend can make you a better person, while friendship with a person of bad character can lead to ruin.  The Proverbs contain a number of important principles concerning friendship.

Points to build upon

A real friend can keep a secret.

Proverbs 11:13:  "A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter."

Proverbs 17:9:  "He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates the best of friends."

To make friends a person must first develop the qualities of being a friend.

Proverbs 18:24:  "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother."

Pick your friends carefully because they will influence who you become.

Proverbs 13:20:  "He who walks with the wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed."

Proverbs 22:24-25:  "Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go.  Lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul."

Spending too much time together can cause strife.

Proverbs 25:17:  "Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you."

A false friend will abandon you in times of trouble.

Proverbs 25:19:  "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint."

A friend will confront you with your faults for your own good; a false friend will use the relationship for his or her own gain.

Proverbs 27:6:  "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Cultivate family friendships and don't give up a friend lightly.

Proverbs 27:10:  "Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, Nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; For better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."

You can drive away friends by trying too hard and making too many demands on the relationship.  Learn to simply be yourself instead of always trying to impress others.

Proverbs 27:14:  "He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him."

Good friends help make each other better people.

Proverbs 27:9:  "Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man's friend does so by hearty counsel."

Proverbs 27:17:  "As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

Application

A key to having good friends is to become a good friend.  Write down all the qualities you want in a friend.  Then strive to become that kind of person.