Making Christian Friends

Best buddies!

"Dear friend, don't copy the evil deeds of others, but follow what is good" (3 John 11).

What Kind of Friends do You Have?

I'm sure that you know that friends will influence you. You learn each other's ways and pick up each other's likes, dislikes, habits, sayings and attitudes. Think of the clothes you wear and what your friends wear. Did they influence your choices? Think about your likes, dislikes and attitudes. Have your friends influenced you in any of these?

Proverbs 22:24-25 warns us not to make friends with an angry person as we might learn his ways and get caught in a trap! You need to be truthful and admit that your friends do influence you. And that's why it's so important to have godly friends since you will develop godly habits by spending time with them. The opposite is true if your friends are ungodly and don't care about pleasing God.

Best Friends:

They are my best Friends! That may be true, but as Christians, our first responsibility is to God, and not to ourselves or to our friends. The Bible says that bad friends will corrupt you and lead you down the wrong paths and into sinning (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Jesus reminded us that we must love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds, and with all our strength" (Mark 12:30). This means we must love God, serve Him and follow Him first. God wants to be first in your life and in all that you do. This includes who you choose as friends!

A Pinch of Yeast:

Paul told us that only a little yeast is needed to leaven or work it's way through the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6). This means that it only takes a tiny pinch of yeast to make a whole loaf of bread rise. Paul is saying that a little sin from one person, will have an impact on all the other friends in the group.

God tells us in Proverbs 13:20 that whoever walks with wise people will be wise, but warns us that the friend of fools will be destroyed! These are strong words, but God has called you to walk godly and keep away from sin. He has also called you to choose your friends wisely.

Godly Friends:

And so, if your friend influences you to sin - you need to get away from that friend and choose other godly friends! Godly friends will:

Warn you when they see you going astray.
Be concerned about your walk with God.
Encourage you to be godly and faithful to God.

Remember your goal as a Christian teenager is to become more and more like Jesus, so choose friends that will help you toward that goal. If you mean business with God, pray this prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
What do you think of my friends? If they are not the right ones, please show this to me. And then lead me to friends that will encourage me and help me to grow closer to You, so that I can please you in all I do and say. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

God Bless!