Characteristics of a Godly Friend #1 – Christlike
For the Women by the Women
Submitted by Tara Black
September 22, 2023
2Co 6:14-15 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
I lost most of my close friends when I accepted Christ twenty-four years ago. Some walked away from me because they no longer wanted to be around me. Some I needed to walk away from because I didn’t like who I was when I was with them. Fortunately, some people did want to be my friend because of my new walk with the Lord. These losses and gains taught me how to look for the correct type of people to have in my life.
The most important thing I look for in a new friend is if they have a strong relationship with the Lord.
According to the passage, God has commanded us not to be “yoked” or tied together with unbelievers. Although it may not be possible to know whether a person has accepted Christ as their Saviour, their behavior can give us clues.
- Do they exhibit “fruits of the Spirit,” or is their fruit “rotten?”
- Do they edify other people, or do they gossip about them?
- Do they heal with their words, or do they harm?
With the Bible as my guide and Jesus as my example, I can quickly determine if I want this person as merely an acquaintance or a close friend.
Secondly, I need to determine if being with this person makes me a better Christian or a better sinner. If the latter is true, I must limit my exposure to this person.
I have heard it said, “Be careful who you hang out with because you either are or soon will be just like them.” I desire to live a life that pleases the Lord, so I must actively cultivate good, Godly friendships that make me more like Him and less like the world.
As I grow in the Lord, the right people will find me and the wrong people will stay away. The more Christ-like I become, the more Christ-pursuers want to be my friend.
PRAYER: Lord, help me have a discerning heart to know who is who.
