We could all use a good friend. And we could all do a little more to be better friends—especially to the people we just met.
Here are ten simple ways to show Jesus’ love.
1. Say Hello
A little hello goes a long way. If you like the introductions, go for it. But if not, even a simple wave or smile could be enough to overcome a bad day.
If you’re shy, work on overcoming your fears. Don’t let the anxiety keep you from a potential friendship with an incredible person.
If you’re outgoing, reach out to the quiet ones and strike up a conversation or help them out with something.
2. Memorize Names
Remembering someone’s name is a simple thing that we tend to brush away as if it’s unimportant—but remembering can be a huge compliment (Proverbs 22:1).
3. Be Kind
It should go without saying that if you want kind friends, you need to be kind back (Matthew 7:12). Save a seat for the new person, invite her to be part of your group, or offer to clean up her trash after lunch. Serve her (Luke 14:11).
4. Ask Questions
If you’re having a hard time making small talk, ask questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. Search for interests or hobbies and ask deeper questions about her responses.
5. Find Common Ground
Do you both enjoy reading? Hot chocolate rather than coffee? Soccer more than softball? Find common ground you can both talk about—or strike up a friendly debate if you disagree.
6. Listen Well
After all these suggestions that seem to do a lot with talking, here’s one that’s the opposite: listening.
Listening is vital, even if it’s hard for you. Invite your new acquaintance to speak, and when she does, listen well. Make eye contact. Show genuine curiosity in her interests. Ask more questions about what she said and go deeper. And remember: Leading the conversation is different from dominating it, and you probably don’t want to sound like all you can do is talk about yourself.
7. Watch Well
Let her back out of a conversation if she seems nervous or annoyed by your questions. Since you don’t know her well, you don’t know what topics might be hard to discuss.
8. Attempt to Understand
Our brains instantly judge what we see in people. While our gut instinct can be helpful, it can also cause a relationship of hurt. Attempt to see things from her point of view (Romans 12:15).
9. Invite
Does she seem like she could use a buddy to show her around? Then invite her to join your table, your group of friends, or your activities. Pair up with her in a game requiring two people, even if you think it’ll mean losing. And let her do her own thing, too! But encourage her, even when she messes up.
10. Be a Light
If you say you’re a Christian, you already represent Christ in everything you do. It doesn’t change when you don’t “feel” like representing Him. It doesn’t stop when you go to school, work, stay home, or enter the grocery store.
So as you meet new people, keep in mind that you’re always reflecting the light of God’s glory through your words and actions.
Be a Friend
Don’t worry too much about what you do to be a better friend. Instead, focus on glorifying God—because the people that do that are the best friends.
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