The Boundaries of Friendship: When to Hold On and When to Let Go

 Friendship is a mutual affection, trust, and support bond between two or more people. True friendship involves those who genuinely care about each other, making love the focal point. Though in our world today, not everyone who comes to you is a real friend, especially when their intentions are wrong. Friendship involves an intentional closeness and loyalty - not afraid to share life experiences together. It excludes insecurity because people who have decided to be friends together should respect each other. As a true believer in Christ, I value true friendships, and in the Bible, it is presented as a gift and a responsibility. The scripture in Proverbs 17 verse 17 states that a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. I'm not your friend if I am not there to stand by you when things are not going well, but only want to be seen when things are going right. Or a situation where I talk badly about you in your absence, then form a good friendship in your presence. That is not friendship to me. **To what extent can we maintain friendship?** Friendship lasts longer when there is respect, mutual value, and willingness to share and nurture the relationship together, not like one person trying to understand while the other isn't. A friendship that does not give you peace of mind isn't worth keeping. If we don't set boundaries where necessary, trust me, such friendship will become toxic, because true friendship should mean respecting each other, forgiving often, being intentional, and most importantly, never at the expense of our spiritual and moral integrity. Friendship should not be kept when it saps our energy and when it has turned into one person feeling jealous of the other and trying to hurt their feelings. I think one should not go too far because iron sharpens iron. Friendship should make us better and not get the best of us. **Can friendship be ended because of differences in beliefs and ideals?** Yes, sometimes. The reason is that when two people come together, their beliefs and ideals are always different, and there are ways in which it can be managed when two or more parties come to an agreed state. But it becomes worse when beliefs and ideals clash when it comes to compromising one's faith, so it is best to step back. Let's take, for instance, A does not like to spend impulsively, but B is trying to lure A into splurging, especially with a fake lifestyle. A would want to stand on her ground, and if her belief is being trampled on, trying to make her see the other side of living excessively, I think it's best that A steps back. Another instance is when I am trying to make you understand something you already know is the truth but because you want to feel like whatever you say is what you believe in even when you are wrong, such a friendship shouldn’t be kept at all because if care isn’t taken, bad communication will correct good manners according to the Holy Scripture. This doesn't mean that one is ending a friendship in hostility. It's like creating distance for peace and safety while still maintaining love and respect from afar.  **How tolerant and open should one be with differences?** Just like I said above, no two people will ever think alike, and there are bound to be different perspectives on things, and this is where tolerance is essential. Being open to different opinions shows a level of maturity and humility. However, just because it is said that tolerance is essential doesn't mean it has no limits. Setting limits in everything is important so as not to be taken as fools or for granted. When such a difference leads to constant conflicts, values being compromised, or having a toxic atmosphere, such a friendship is no longer healthy and one must step back. In summary, friendship is all about love, loyalty, and mutual growth. Though, being patient in maintaining it is necessary, one should be careful so it doesn't cost their value. Differences in beliefs can end a friendship if they create conflicts that cannot be brought into agreement. --- _{*Images Credit to Meta AI*}