Why is it we are drawn to some people more than others? What makes us want to maintain a friendship?

Friendship is a life-line. Connecting with like-minded people who genuinely care about one another is a gift we take for granted all too often.

Friends are people we feel good with. Some make us laugh, some hear us out and really listen to our hearts, others support us when the going is tough, and still others just hang with us when we need down time.

A true friend holds up a mirror in which we see ourselves.

They are the ones who show us our strengths when all we see is weakness; they point out our good character traits, like courage and loyalty, when we are down on ourselves. They remind us of past accomplishments and spur us on in our future. They build into our lives and we are richer for having spent time with them. We come away with a stronger sense of “self” because we have been together.

But friends don't just expose our good qualities; they call it how it is. They are the people in our lives who aren't afraid to tell us what they really think, who hold us accountable when we're out of line. They speak the truth in love, and in the process, make us better: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). Are you a relationship builder or not? Listen to us talk about that.

Be mindful of the mirror you hold up for your friends. Do you reflect back to them the goodness you find in their hearts and in their character? Are you able to lovingly reveal the areas in their lives they need to work on?