That’s What Friends Are For: The Importance Of Having Good Friends And A Godly Circle In Your Life

First of all, it is important to explain what a good friend means to me. A good friend is someone who is consistent, sticks through the test of time, is closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24), is able to say “flag up” when you are going in the wrong direction in their presence, and who protects your name in front of others. They also do not wait for the perfect time to visit or propose to meet up. They check up on you regularly, can hear the hurts that you have not expressed, and are forgiving. Lastly, they want this to be reciprocated (Proverbs 27:17).

So for me, it is crucially important to have such a friend in my life to bring about a sense of stability and reliability, to help with growth (to help mold the best version of myself), and to nurture the friendship. Nonetheless, since giving my life totally to Christ, I have realized that it is difficult to keep that same level of closeness with an unbelieving friend, because interests and values begin to diverge and create a sense of gap. The saying “birds of a feather flock together” rings true in a lot of ways, in that people are often attracted to individuals and groups through common views and interests. The same is also true when 1 Corinthians 15:33 states “Do not be deceived: 'bad company corrupts good character'”. It is important to ensure that a friend has good character so as not to distract and entice you into doing things that you do not particularly want to be involved with.

More often than not, when someone has bad character, it is easy for them to try to convince the one with good character to do bad things, because at times bad things are easier to do. So Ideally, it is wise of a person with good character to keep close friends who have honorable reputations. Better yet, if those friends are non-believers, lead them to Christ, thereby preserving that bond. But if this is unlikely to happen, a Godly circle is the primary quest. “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26).

A Godly circle should inspire a fellow believer to reach unity with God, in one mind and goal, using a Biblical foundation to help the believer on their walk. The circle will largely understand the believer's journey, whether it's testing or smooth. A godly circle will stir your spirit to pray, adopt healthy habits to honor God, and selflessly serve others while loving you the Godly way and helping you fashion your purposed identity. Thus, they are vital for spiritual growth. This is why the scriptures encourage believers to not forsake the assembly of Christ (Hebrews 10:25), emphasizing the need of fellowship on one's journey, especially for steadfastness until the day of the Lord. Those days will have a lot of persecution that will cause some to deny the faith, so having people who you can pray with and who bring to light the word of God is essential.

Good friends are a gift from God. Therefore, not all friendships should be approved. Often, people quote that God sat with sinners at parties, and therefore there is nothing wrong in befriending someone who does not share the same values. The lesson there is that everything Jesus did was done so intentionally in order to restore people back to Him. If this is the position one is taking, this is great evangelism work. But one must also be vigilant because the devil seeks whom he may devour and can use that friend to lead you astray (1 Peter 5:8). So be selective when choosing friends, and ensure they are of one accord and on a path of Godly faith. In short, choosing good friends and a godly circle is essential for my survival and is my Christian duty.