that he was able to have on the people there. He
speaks about the time that he invested in the relationships with the people there, and how after a
time, they became imitators of Him and thus, imitators of Christ.
My best friend and her family were definitely
a good influence on me in a time when I really
needed guidance and direction. I want my kids
to have relationships like that. I want them to find
friends who will come along side of them and help
them walk down the right paths. I also hope that
with that friendship, comes a little substitute family
that will care for my child and help shepherd them
along their journey.
The Bible has a lot to say about friendships and
the people with whom we associate. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says that bad company ruins good
morals. Proverbs 13:20 says that whoever walks
with the wise will become wise, but the way of the
wicked leads them astray. These verses speak to
the powerful impact that our peers can have on us.
Wow! Mamas and Daddies, that is weighty to consider! We have all heard about people who were
led astray by the negative impact of bad friends. It
is true that often peer pressure can lead our kids to
make poor choices, but I wonder if we have given
careful consideration to the positive influence that
good friendships can have on our children.
We obviously cannot choose our children’s friends
for them, but we can be very involved in the process. There are some things that we, as parents,
can do to help our kids see the necessity of choosing friends that will be a good influence on them.
I believe it starts with teaching our children how
highly God esteems friendships and what He sees
as the purpose for friendships.
If our children know what real friendship is and
how it should look, they will be less likely to choose
something less than God’s best. Proverbs 27:17
tells us that as iron sharpens iron, we ought to
sharpen one another. We need those people in
our lives that sharpen us and help us to be our
best. Not only that, but friendships are supposed
to be selfless. John 5:13:12-15 says that friends
should love one another enough to lay down their
lives for each other. While 1 Corinthians 10:24
reminds us that we shouldn’t seek our own good,
but the good of our neighbor.