So one of the key ways a person moves from associate to friend, to being someone who wants to go to the garden, so to speak, is to learn to keep a person’s confidences. Be a cup, not a faucet. Receive their heart, but don’t spread it. If a person trusts you enough to share some of the things you would only share with a friend, then even as an associate—as a good person, period—keep their story confidential. This could potentially be the beginning of a shift relationally, or it could just be a way to be kind as a person of faith. Either way, there are no losers.
