Friendish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion

In her instructive debut, Needham examines how the Scriptures define friendship. “The heartbeat behind Christian friendship,” she writes, “is companionship forged in the fire of conviction that Jesus alone can satisfy our souls.” To make lessons from the Bible applicable to daily life, Needham identifies “counterfeit” friends, and idolatrous, selfish, or “marriage mimicking” friendships and the signs to recognize them. For instance, marriage mimicking friendships exhibit jealousy and romantic language, and selfish friendships are usually marked by demands, divisiveness, and dependency. Needham sets up charts to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy friendships, describing distorted views of friendship as weeds of sin that must be rethought to allow true friendships to flourish. She shares personal stories and challenges readers to redefine friendship by taking a closer look at how their needs and mission are addressed by each of their friends. Needham also offers insight regarding the warning signs of sexual temptation and clarifies when it is necessary to end a friendship that one no longer feels comfortable in. In the book’s standout chapter, she draws from the relationship of Jonathan and David in 1 Samuel 18:1 to illustrate the type of friendship that prioritizes God first. Needham’s genuine tone and helpful advice will make this perfect for small Bible-study groups. (Aug.)