Godly Friendships

     I cannot express to you just how important it is to have friends that are following after God with all of their being.  The people who you hang out with make you into the person that you are. Believe me, you will pick up habits and mannerisms from your closest friends. There is even a good chance that your personality will change according to who you hang out with. Therefore, spending most of your time with people who are living for this world will definitely not be healthy for your relationship with God. And, on the flip side, spending a majority of your time with people who are living to please and worship God will help you grow in your relationship with God as well. 

     I want to clarify that I'm not saying you shouldn't have any friends that aren't completely focused on God, or even friends that aren't Christians. I actually think it is very important to have these kinds of people in your life. Why? Because it is a chance for you to set a godly example for them. Having friends that are not living their lives to please God opens you up to an amazing opportunity to witness whenever you are hanging out with your friends. This is where you have to be careful though. When two people hang out they usually both rub off on each other rather than only one rubbing off on the other. So when you are in the situation of hanging out with someone who is not a Christian: guard yourself. Make sure you are not changing and acting more worldly when you spend time with these people.

     As I'm talking about the importance of these friendships I also want to give you a challenge: are you a godly friend? I know how hard it can be to stand out in this world; how easy it is to conform to this world. But I also know that real satisfaction comes from standing out. Being different in this world is what we, as disciples of Christ, are called to do. What's more, being someone striving after God will make you a better friend for someone. Don't be afraid to speak up when your Christian friends are gossiping or doing something you know is wrong. Most likely this will attract the right kind of friends. More importantly, God sees what you are doing and you will be repaid more than a hundred times over one day in Heaven. 

     Before I close I want to impress upon you the pure blessing of having godly friends. I have the amazing privilege of having some very close friends who are striving after God and growing in their faith daily and I am so blessed to be growing along with them. It is so beneficial to have these friends that can come alongside you and stretch you in your relationship with God. Please don't underestimate the true value of godly friends.