I turned forty this year, which makes me old enough to know that great friends are hard to come by.

And while I don't have many friends, the ones I do have are lifelong friends who have influenced who I am today. With that in mind, I'd like to share with you my ten signs of a godly friend:

1. She is more interested in speaking truth in your life than in agreeing with you.
2. She sits with you when you're miserable but tells you exactly when it's time you snap out of it.
3. She offers grace when you forget the obvious things like birthday presents.
4. She patiently waits until you're ready to talk about it.
5. She pushes you to talk when you're not willing to talk about it.
6. She listens longer than she wants to.
7. She looks where others are afraid to.
8. She defends you in public but confronts you in private.
9. She doesn't always let you win.
10. She stays knowing there is great power in enduring.

With these ten things in mind, I guess the better question today isn't whether you have a godly friend, but ...

Are you a godly friend?