Why can't friends get along with each other instead of fighting?
"Godly people are careful about the friends they choose" (Proverbs: 12:26).
"Whoever wants to show love forgives a wrong. But those who talk about it separate close friends" (Proverbs 17:9).
It's not unusual for friends to have disagreements. These disagreements don’t need to erupt into fights.It is important to realize that it's ok to have different opinions than your friend. In most cases, if you disagree, you can still have fun and be friends. Here are some tips to keep disagreements from turning into fights:
Listen to each other and try to understand. Sometimes friends have arguments because one friend likes one thing and the other friend likes another. A friend might be upset about something at school or home which is bothering her and making her upset or angry. Friends should be good listeners.
Talk to each other calmly. When friends start to fight, they should stop and calmly discuss the issue instead. If you are mad, take time to calm down. If you still can’t talk about it calmly, ask a trusted adult to help you and your friend discuss the issue.
Be willing to compromise. In a friendship, sometimes we have to "meet in the middle." For example, maybe your friend wants to go to the mall tomorrow, but you want to play basketball at the park. A compromise might be that you agree to go to the mall together, with the understanding that the next day you will both play basketball.
Learn to forgive. Forgiving our friends when they make mistakes is very important. Jesus forgives us when we make a mistake, so we should be willing to forgive our friends too.
Pray. Remember to pray for your friends and ask God to help you be a good friend to others.
