By: Chris V Nowadays, finding good, solid, Christian friends can be hard. It's tough not to want to go straight to the first person who seems interested in being your friend! (Trust me- I've been there.) But did you know that it's super important to choose good friends? Choosing the right friends during the middle school, high school, and college years is a crucial part of your life that can affect your lifestyle and relationship with God. Why Should I Find Solid Christian Friends? Sometimes, we wonder why it's important to become friends with solid Christian believers. First Corinthians 15:33 tells us "Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals". Think of this example: have you ever stood on a platform? Have you ever been pulled down from a platform? If you have, you'll know it's a lot easier to be pulled down from the platform by a person than to pull a person up onto a platform! It works the same way with your friends: it's a lot easier to be pulled into some of the habits, whether good or bad, your friends have rather than pulling them into your habits. For example, if you have a friend who parties a lot, chances are you'll get stuck in the same habit (and possibly a lot of trouble!). On the other hand, when you find a Christian friend, there's more of a chance that you'll be going to church, reading your Bible, and fellowshipping with other believers more often. What is a Good Friend? When you think of a good friend, what do you think of? Maybe you think of someone who sticks by your side no matter what, or someone who you stay up late talking to while sharing secrets and snacks. But when we look at the Bible, what is a good friend? According to Proverbs 27:9 says "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of the friend comes from earnest council". We are also told in Proverbs 27:6 that "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy". A good friend will be honest with you for your good, even if it might hurt a little. Also, we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to "...encourage one another and build one another up...". Not only will a good friend point out things that may be harmful to your Christian walk, but they will also encourage you! Finally, in Proverbs 17:17, we're told that "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity". This verse shows that a good friend will stick with you through everything out of love. These are just a few of the examples of what the Bible says a good friend is; check out your Bible to find more! (I recommend starting with the friendship of David and Jonathan, which can be found in 1 Samuel 18:1-5 and 1 Samuel 20.) The True Friend You may know my best friend in my life, and he may even be your best friend too: Jesus! John 15:15 tells us "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you". Our fully God and fully human Friend laid down His life for us so we could have salvation from sin, which is one of the greatest things you can do for a friend (John 15:13). But that's not the end of the story! Jesus also rose from the dead, conquering death and and showing that God has power over death. (You can read the full story in Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-21.) If you haven't yet, I hope you'll get know Jesus through salvation!
To learn more about knowing Jesus, check out what Unlocked, a teen outreach of the Keys for Kids Ministries, has to say here. We'd love to hear from you! Do you have a good friend? What are some of their qualities? Tell us in the comments below!
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March 2023
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