Authentic Relationship
What is an authentic relationship? Authentic means: Of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine.
The law dictionary states: having the character of an original; competent, credible, and reliable.
An authentic friendship is a type of
relationship that is genuine, credible, and reliable, which has your good as its primary objective. It is that authenticity that establishes a great friendship. So, when someone calls you BEST FRIEND, the root of that is authenticity.
Many people misconstrue the word friendship to mean the one who sings you lullabies in your challenges, numbs your reasoning in pain, or just sobs with you in perilous times. That may not be a friend, but a “weeping partner,” because those actions in themselves just entrench you in your misery, pain, hurt, and tears without constructively and objectively paving your way out of the conundrum.
The reverse is true of a friend: he may find you in
pain and lull you a little bit, but will ultimately work with you, aid you, and establish support structures until you heal, are perfectly restored, and presented ready to face the world with renewed vigor.
A friend is one who receives you the way you are, but in the process of time, makes you better and wiser. This is not done through subjugation and manipulation or the desire to show yourself better than the person. On the contrary, it’s done through discussions, observations, interactions, etc.
In one of the definitions of a friend from the Bible, a friend is one who “sticks closer than a brother.” This in essence means that a friend is actually more than just a family member.>
Warrior Woman Magazine
Issue 1 :: April 2026
The Role of an Authentic Friend
1. A friend celebrates your victories Life is full of competitors who are trying to push their vision to be better than yours. Life is full of those who don’t want you to succeed or people who are just not happy that the shine is on you. You need authentic people around who can celebrate your victories without any other strange agenda. They are just happy you made it and are not ashamed to amplify your victories. Your joy is theirs.
2. A friend protects you from “lynchers” It is disturbingly true that there are people who just want to see you down and out. They think your vision is greater than theirs (subjective thinking) or they are just not happy that they are stuck while you seem to be moving forward. They devise ways of having you “cut down to size.”
If anything happens to you—business going down, marriage challenged, children struggling, or a job lost—they will be the first ones to celebrate, mock, and gossip. You need friends who can protect you from this kind of venomous behavior.
37:18-21 Genesis “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.”
You need the "Reuben" type of people around you— those who will hear of plots against you but rise to
sabotage those plots. You don’t need just "reporters" (those who only come to tell you what others are saying). The authenticity of friendship is proven by the act of protection. You will only be settled as a person once you are sure that your friend can "take the bullet" for you.
3. A friend refreshes you To refresh, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is to restore strength, revive, replenish, or renew. Life can be challenging; you need friends whose presence gives you the impetus to rise another day. They refresh by:
• Spending time with you. • Making you laugh. • Making the load lighter.
4. A friend opens opportunities for growth This is a key benefit of authentic friendship. Since a friend is not jealous or intimidated by you, they will recommend you for projects and refer your name to places of influence.
Concerning the young David: one day King Saul was being tormented and wanted the situation dealt with. A gentleman told the King of David. He explained why David was the right man for the job: "I have seen the son of Jesse..." Immediately David was summoned from the forest to the palace. We don’t know the exact relationship between that man and David, but that is how friends should be.
The days of your friends being threatened by your gift, aura, charisma, or talent are over. There is a brand new level of authenticity in friendship rising—one that paves and opens doors for each other. I pray this new brand finds expression in your life. WWM
Issue 1 :: April 2026
Warrior Woman Magazine
Issue 1 :: April 2026