Christ-centered friendship: Why is it important
Having friends is also one of the most crucial aspects we need to have in life.
Just like a family, friendship should also have the right foundation. Is your relationship with your friends centered in Christ?
Your friends significantly impact who you will become in the future. They would substantially affect your decisions, especially for young people.
Besides, you have to choose your friends because not everyone is good for you.
As for young people, your friends could either help you achieve your dreams or destroy them.
Your parents have great plans for you, yet sometimes because of our friends, we ruin our lives and disappoint them.
For adults, your friends could significantly impact your career, marriage, and spiritual walk with Jesus.
Importance of Christ-Centered Friendship
It is crucial to have a Christ-centered friendship. When the foundation of your relationship is Jesus Christ, it turns out to be a supernatural partnership rather than a typical company.
Behind our friendship is a high and holy purpose from God.
It could change the world if your friends value God’s glory and running after Jesus.
They say that friendships are not accidental but purposely chosen by God.
If you allow Him, God will lead you to the right people found in Jesus.
But why is it essential to have a Christ-centered Friendship?
Here are some factors why our friendship should be rooted in Jesus.
You Are Your Friends
Your friends would define the kind of person you are. They could influence us whether we want it or not.
It is true for young people. They have spent time at school, so their friends significantly impact their behavior and attitude.
A young lady who does not wear mini skirts and crop tops could change if her friends wear that fashion.
The same is true for a teenage boy who does not even know how to smoke but eventually becomes a smoker because his friends are doing it.
On the other hand, if you are surrounded by those who fear the Lord, you will also do things together that please God.
1 Corinthians 15:33 says we should not be deceived; bad company corrupts good character.
Regardless if your parents raised you well at home, if you are with people who do not honor God, it could steal your good character.
The Bible advised us not to befriend a hot-tempered person or be associated with easily angered people.
Because you may learn their ways and get yourself trapped. (Proverbs 22:24-25)
That is why it is crucial to have friends built in Christ. If your friendship is centered on Jesus, then your friends will not cause you harm but good.
They will help you improve your character to become pleasing to the Lord.
Your friends would encourage you to go to church and discover more about Jesus so you could continue to become like Him.
Prayer Warriors
A Christ-centered friendship is valuable for your battles. If you are weak, your friends could pray for you to be strong and motivated.
During my pregnancy, I dealt with so many things, and I was at my darkest.
I received messages from my Christian friends that they were praying for me. I honestly did not open my situation to them because it was the pandemic season.
Since our friendship is rooted in Christ, they discerned that I needed their prayers to help me stand and overcome my trials.
Your friendship rooted in Jesus will help you in various stages of life.
I met my Christian friends before I got married, and they are my prayer warriors as I build my home with my husband.
When you and your friends pray together, God will move and do amazing things in your life and your friends.
In Daniel 2:18, Daniel asked his friends to pray that God would help them understand the secret of the king’s dream so they would not kill them with the wise men of Babylon.
Because of his friends’ prayers, Daniel could interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.
In verses 46 to 49, the king was amazed by Daniel’s interpretation and promoted him.
He also requested the king to appoint his friends Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego to rule over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
Trustworthy
A friendship that is rooted in Jesus Christ is a safe place for you to grow and mess up at the same time.
You can trust them when you fail that they will not spread rumors about you but rather help you stand up from your downfall.
Another, you can lean on them because they will not condemn you for your weakness.
Instead, they would encourage you to become the person God intends you to be. They will push us to attract God’s favor.
Galatians 6:2 says that we have to carry each other’s burden and fulfill the commandments of Jesus.
How can we do that if our friends do not honor God?
Entrusting our weaknesses and struggles to those who do not fear the Lord is difficult. They would only cause you harm.
However, you can trust Christ-centered friends that what they do and say would be for your own benefit and not to harm you.
Great Supporters
When your friendship centers on Jesus, there will not be any competition, but they will be your supporters and encouragers to achieve your dreams.
Supportive friends would celebrate your success and weep with you in your failures.
Romans 12:15 says rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who weep. Only friends in Jesus do that.
In this competitive world, we need people that would be happy for us in our wins and comfort us in our downfalls.
It is difficult to have friends that treat you as their competition.
They would not be genuinely happy if you were doing well and would secretly celebrate your failure.
That kind of friendship is not rooted in Christ but in selfishness.
They are the ones that would leave you when you need some help.
Friendships that are centered in Christ support you in every season. They would not expect you to return the favor, but they are there in good and bad times.
You do not need to seek their validation because they still accept you whatever happens.
Good Influence
Does your friend correct you when you have made a mistake?
Are they bold enough to tell you what you need to improve?
If yes, then that is the kind of genuine and Christ-centered friendship.
True friends do not rejoice in evil because they genuinely love you and do not want you to be far away from Jesus.
Having that kind of Christ-centered friendship is crucial whenever you lose your way. They will be there holding you and directing you to Jesus.
It is good to have someone to remind us what pleases the Lord.
Sometimes, God will use this friendship for you to save yourself from making wrong decisions.
You might want to end your marriage because of misunderstandings with your spouse, but your friend would remind you how sacred your marriage is.
There might also be times you considered ending your life because of too much burden, but your friend would remind you how God’s faithfulness and sovereignty could help you overcome your problems.
Your friends would always remind you that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life whenever you have lost your way.
