....How Many of Us Have Them?

I told my friend to stop talking to me about her relationship because, while I have awesome advice and insight in general [due to my analytical and observant nature], I've never been in a real relationship. She respects that and, while she slips on the occasion, we stopped discussing her relationship.
As friends, we have a million other things to talk about. We talk and debate about the most serious topics to the most frivolous of topics. We discuss religion, politics, science, psychology, reality tv shows... The list is indefinite. The fact that my decision to take away one of those topics did not change the dynamics of our relationship is confirmation that we have a genuine friendship.
A lot of people have a lot of "friends" in their lives but they have not yet learned the difference between friend and servant. A servant doesn't understand your purpose. They don't understand the vision that you have been given for your life. This does not necessarily mean that they will never have a place as your friend. It just means that they are not yet on a level to comprehend your assignment. When they finally reach that point they make the decision to be your friend or your enemy; often unbeknownst to you. A friend is someone who knows your flaws, but doesn't count them. They understand His plan for your place in their life and accept the position they have been given in your life. A real friend never straddles the fence with you. Servants are messy and, if you pay close attention, all they want to talk about is your mess... With you and anyone who lends an ear. Servants harbor ill feelings an let bits of information slip out of their mouth at the most inopportune times and places. Your friend keeps it 100 with you at all times.

I could go on forever with this, but I wont. I'll just propose the challenege: Pick one current messy/chaotic situation happening in your life and mute all incoming and outgoing conversations on the topic. Examine the continued enthusiasm, or lack thereof, in your conversations.