Have you ever been injured by a friend, someone you trusted, and they hurt you? Or, have you ever been the cause of injury to a friend? Sometimes these things happen, and regardless of what side you are on, it never feels good. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying:

“An injured friend is the bitterest of foes.” – Thomas Jefferson

Clearly he had experienced such a falling out, and from this quote I would imagine that it did not work out well for him.It also is clear that his conclusion that an injured friend not only becomes a foe, but the bitterest of foes, is worldly wisdom and not Biblical. It is true that a hurt friend may be hard to win back:

A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle. – Proverbs 18:19 NKJV

But, a true friend loves at all times, and the Bible teaches us the way to deal with such an injury. We are to address it promptly and with full intent to reconcile.

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him. – Luke 17:3-4

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. – Matthew 18:15

Yes, there are times when friends hurt each other, it does happen unfortunately. But with friends, and with the help of God, there is always a way back. Perhaps Jefferson’s friend turned foe was not a friend at all.

The test of a true friend is where they stand during our times of need and adversity. The English writer and literary critic John Churton Collins knew this well.

“In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.” – John Churton Collins, English Literary Critic

Although this truth is not in the Bible, we do find in the Bible that a friend loves at all times, and that a brother is born for adversity. This takes the idea of friendship and brotherly love to much higher level. Yes, like Collins says, friends will stay by us in good and bad times. But in the Book of Proverbs we see that the purpose of a true brother or sister is to be there in times of adversity; it is what we are born to do.

I encourage us all to be good friends to each other, and to be brothers and sisters to each other, and to stick with each other in both good times and bad.

See more friendship quotes.

A couple of weeks ago I was driving in my car and a very good friend of mine came to mind, and at that moment I really appreciated him. There are some people, that no matter where life takes you, they are willing to take the journey with you through the good and the bad. So I immediately called him to say “thank you” and to let him know how much I appreciated having him as a true friend, even a brother.

Today I came across this quote (or should I say verse) that reminded me of that moment:

“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship”.

This is a true saying, no? But is it Bible, or not? I agree that true friendship is of great worth and to be prized, after all, didn’t Jesus say that? In alluding to Himself he said to His disciples, ”Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. Followed by, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you”. (John 15:13,15 KJV). And in the Old Testament we read how Abraham was called the friend of God, and how important that was.

It is clear that the Bible places great value on friendship, but there is a bond that is greater that that of a friend and that is the bond of a brother. And in the Church do we not call ourselves brothers and sisters? But what is the measure of a true friend versus the measure of a brother? We find that answer in the book of Proverbs where is says that a friend loves at all times but a brother is born for adversity. That’s the difference: a friend will always love you, through thick and thin, but a brother will pull along side of you in the most difficult and darkest of times.

The quote, “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship,” is not from the Bible. It is a quote from Thomas Aquinas, a philosopher, theologian and Catholic saint. It is true that true friendship is of great worth and is to be prized, but having a true brother is of infinite more worth.

Tell me what you think (comment).

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