“Would I Want to Be Friends with Me?” For the Strength of Youth, June 2024.

Would I Want to Be Friends with Me?

By Jessica Zoey Strong

Church Magazines

Take a look in the mirror—literally.

Have you ever wished a friend would do something a little differently? Like reach out to you more, not tease you so much, or support you in something? It’s important to have good friends. But first, it might help to be a good friend.

Time for some self-reflection: Are you the kind of friend you’d want to be friends with? Do you follow Jesus Christ’s example in your friendships?

Let’s take a look in the mirror. Ask yourself each of these questions, and then see how you can be a better friend.

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head with mirror

What do your friends do that you appreciate?

Reflect: Give them back some of their own goodness. What do they do well that you want to do for them?
What do you wish your friends would start doing?

Reflect: Instead of waiting on them, what can you start doing? It might just help.
What do you wish your friends would stop doing?

Reflect: STOP. Before you focus on their faults, what of those things do you need to stop yourself?
What would your friends say they like about you?

Reflect: Play to your strengths! How can you do those things more often?
What would your friends say you could work on to be a better friend?

Reflect: What is one thing you are going to do differently to be the best friend you can be?

Hopefully you had some fun taking a look in the mirror. Just one more question—the most important one:

How can you be more like the Savior, Jesus Christ, in your friendships?