Christian Friendships, part one

After writing a bit about my Youth Group and the importance of Christian friends in my last post, I was really thinking. So, I wrote this originally for the July issue of Go Ye Therefore (if you want to know more about Go Ye Therefore magazine please email me at helpnm@embarqmail.com), but I thought it would benefit y'all too. It's kind of long, so I broke it up into part one and part two, but here we go...

When you are a Christian, you are a light in a dark world. All around you are people who do not believe in God. All around you is darkness, and you are the light that is supposed to shine through. Light penetrates darkness. It pushes the darkness out, and fills the space with light. It exposes things that you could not see before.

If you are a Christian, if you are a true believer, then you will be different. And people will be able to see that difference in the way you live, in the way you act, and in the way you talk. They will see that you are not the same as everyone else. They will see that you have something more. As you grow in your faith, little by little you will change. And those around you will see that change, and hopefully ask for the reason.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

- 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)

All of this, being a light, shining in a dark world, being different, it all sounds pretty easy, right? It’s not. It is actually very difficult. It’s like being the only boy in a room full of girls, or being the only modest teen in your school, or being the only homeschooler in your club. Being singled out in a bad way can hurt. I’m not talking about being singled out as in being the best soccer player, and thus the most popular kid on the team; I’m talking about being singled out as in being the “odd ball” or the “weird one”.

Being the only one, you are not very strong. As a believer, Christian friends are very important to have. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says:

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”(NIV)

Having Christian friends is not only good, it is important! Being with like-minded people not only is encouraging and uplifting, but makes being different not so hard. Because you are being different with others! As the verse above says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” That means that when you are alone, you don’t have a very good chance of winning; but when you have a friend with you, you can defend yourselves. And a cord of three strands, or friends, is not quickly broken. When you have friends with you, you are very difficult to overcome!

Part two coming tomorrow...

In Christ alone,

Buttercup