By S.K. Bacon
Let’s be honest here. Friendships, especially in high school, are tough. A lot of different things change, about both you and your relationships. Maybe you made a friend based on a common interest, and now one of you doesn’t like that thing anymore. Maybe you met them at an extracurricular activity or on a sports team, and they or you decided to quit. A lot of things can — and will! — change.
But no matter what changes, there is one person you can always count on to be there for you — Jesus. No matter what happens in your life, He will always be there for you. Sometimes, it seems like He isn’t; there is still sin and pain and suffering in this world, even with His salvation. But God loves you and wants you to be happy! He wants your friendships to work, but only if they’re the right kind.
Proverbs 27:17 tells us that “as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” When looking at your friendships, you need to ask yourself if your friends are sharpening you and vice versa. If your relationship doesn’t honor God, it doesn’t need to happen. That sounds a bit harsh, but it’s just true; we were created to honor God our Creator in everything we do, including relationships. Ungodly relationships won’t lift you up; they’ll just find a way to drag you down.
As a friend, you need to show all the Fruit of the Spirit — be loving, be peaceful, have self-control, et cetera. We must strive to follow Christ’s example in all we do, but sometimes that can be hard, especially if someone says something hurtful. But if someone upsets you, talk to them about it. Communication is one of the most important resources we as humans have at our disposal, and we not only need to communicate with our friends and family; we need to communicate with our Creator. Mark 11:25 says that when we pray, “if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you.” To paraphrase: if you treat the people around you with mercy and grace, He will give you the same!
And sometimes it is hard to forgive people for wronging you, and that’s okay! That’s why God is here to help you. Matthew 6:14 tells us that “if you forgive those who sin against you, so shall your Heavenly Father forgive you.” God wants you to show His love and grace to everyone — even people that hurt you. Jesus still showed Judas kindness and love, even when He knew he was to betray Him. We should strive to do the same.
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:22-23, 25-26
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