The Deception of World Friendships

We all have vacuums in our hearts, don’t we? Empty spaces we try to fill with different things.

When I was a teenager and did not yet know the Lord, I found my solace in friendships. But to be honest I was not really ‘being myself’ in the company of my friends, I was just living a life to please them so that I could gain their acceptance. My friends knew me as the ‘humorous, cool girl-next-door’ but the real me was wounded and lost. At the end of the day, I would run to my diary and pour out my feelings because no one really knew the vulnerable, real me.

Only God’s love can fill the vacuum of your heart

For some of you, everything revolves around your friendships! You’re constantly chasing after your friends, just to stay in their circle or simply because you want to feel like you belong. You are trying to find your self worth or identity in your friendships. Some of you are facing pressure to dress up in a certain way or talk in a certain language because of peer pressure. But God wants you to be YOU, in a way that He is glorified. And, its only the love of God that can fill every vacuum of your heart. Remember, your worldly friends don’t have the spirit of God, and pursuing temporary pleasures of the world will only make you more empty.

You may be young but you’re not worthless

Listen my young people, there is a purpose for your life, which is much bigger than you can imagine.

Well, you may be young but you’re not worthless. The Lord has plans for your life – You are called to do mighty exploits for His kingdom and represent Him in your generation. And the only thing God requires of you is that you set yourself apart. Setting yourself apart is more than you just doing the right things – going to church, reading your Bible or giving your tithes. Setting yourself apart is falling in love with Jesus every single day and making Him your best friend.

You see at the end of the day, your friends are not going to be always there for you. The only One who will never leave you nor forsake you, and whose love is steadfast towards you is Jesus.

So, that’s the only friendship we need to strive for – to be accepted by the Lord and to be popular in heaven.

It is important to God, who your friends are

When I got saved at 19, my perspective about my friends changed. Jesus my new found friend became the focus of my life. Its like when you are in love with someone, you want to spend all your time with that person. I was so in love with Jesus that my way of talking, my way of dressing – everything changed. My friends thought I was acting weird. I was even named a “Jesus freak.” (And I was like, oh, I like that!)

When my friendship with the Holy Spirit blossomed, I had to slowly cut off from my worldly friends because I realised they were a negative influence in my life. And that was the best decision of my life because now I was able to genuinely pursue my friendship with the Lord. It is important to God, who your friends are.

The only friendship worth striving for is the one with Jesus — the friend who never leaves, never forsakes, and truly knows your heart.

You need to have friends who love Jesus and who will fan your fire, not quench it. You need to have friends who share your heart and love for God and His Word, friends who encourage you to flee from sin, friends who are open to godly corrections and don’t get offended, friends who are not emotionally driven but are led by the Spirit of God.

God called Abraham His friend. But in order for God to call Abraham His friend, Abraham had to come to a place where he had to have complete faith in God, so much so that he reflected God’s heart and mind. Abraham offering his son for sacrifice was a reflection of how centuries later, God would offer His only begotten Son.

As you walk with God, the spirit of God slowly starts transforming you. Some of you are battling addictions and striving hard to break free. Why don’t you simply try walking with God, and inviting Him to be your friend? He will begin to heal and remove the unwanted parts of your life.

He is a friend that never gives up on you. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother!