Child of God - Step #2
Friends Are Fun-damental
Welcome Back!
Today we're going to talk about friends!
- What are friends for?
- How do you choose a friend?
- What makes a good friend?
- Are you a good friend?
The most important thing to have in a friendship is trust. If you
don't trust someone, it's very hard to be friends with them. If a
person is honest, it's easy to trust them, because you know they are
truthful and you don't have to worry about getting hurt in any way by
them.
Another thing to look for in a good friend is a person who is caring.
A good friend would never do anything on purpose to hurt you.
When you are deciding whether or not you want to be friends with
someone, think about what kind of person they are. Are they
Christian? Are they kind? Are they loyal? Are they respectful? Are
they a lot like you?
Hang around with people that you want to be like.
Let's stop and think about that for a minute.
What exactly do you want to be like?
I'm going to talk with you honestly now, because I want you to think
of me as a good friend.
There are a lot of kids that aren't like you. They don't know much
about God, and they don't really care to know. They think it doesn't
matter if they're good or not, because they think that nothing will
happen to them if they're bad, except that they might get more
attention.
These are kids that will say and do just about anything to make
others laugh, they'll talk back to adults and believe they're showing
off, they'll lie, cheat, steal, and destroy other people's things,
and not think anything about it, because they don't listen to their
conscience. And there are other kids that will laugh at them and
think they're cool, and become their friends and follow them ... And
that's why the world is in the shape it's in today.
Did you know that people become like the people they hang around
with? So if you hang around with friends that are bad, guess what
will probably happen to you? Who your friends are is very important,
because most young people, especially if they go to public school,
spend more time with their friends than their own family.
God wants us to be friendly and kind to everyone, but most people
only have a few very close friendships. In a friendship, as a part of
Christian fellowship, we are supposed to help each other be good.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.
We are supposed to urge each other to be loving and to do good
things. It is your responsibility as a friend to help your friends
stays good. Good friends want each other to be good because you care
a lot about one another and you want God to be happy with your
friend. Don't forget, when you need to be reminded to be good, a true
friend will tell you, and you shouldn't be hurt by it, but be glad
that they care so much.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Because of your friend, you are a better person, and because of you,
your friend is a better person.
Proverbs 27:9
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a
man's friend by hearty counsel.
Again the Bible says that it's good to make sure your friends be
good. The good advice of a friend makes your heart happy.
The Bible says:
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
A friend is loving at all times. We know that sometimes friends may
do things that hurt your feelings. They don't mean to, but people
make mistakes, just like you do. When this happens, God is counting
on you to forgive and forget, like He does when you sin and it hurts
Him. Don't hold anything against your friend, and if your friend is
loyal, they will do the same if you ever hurt their feelings.
Proverbs 11:13
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit
concealeth the matter.
This Proverb teaches that a tattle tale isn't only someone who tells
your parents on you for something you did, but someone who tells a
secret of yours to anyone can be a tattle tale. In the Bible, they
call it a talebearer. This verse means that a talebearer tells
secrets, but a loyal friend keeps your secrets.
There are some people who want to know everything about everybody,
because it makes them feel popular. Most people who spend their time
finding out a lot of things about other people are also the kind of
people who will also tell everything they find out. This is called
gossip. If you have a friend that shares their dreams or secrets or
ideas or thoughts with you, they are trusting you with it, and those
things are usually very special to them. It's something shared from
one heart to another. Your friend trusts that you put their special
secret things that they shared, into your heart and that you will
keep them safe there. Imagine how hurt they would be if they found
out that you told other people about the secrets they trusted you
with.
Gossip is talking about people when you have no business to. Some
people do it because they've heard other people do it, and the world
has taught them that it's okay, but it isn't.
Proverbs 16:28
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
Disobedient people cause trouble, and people who gossip, can split up
the best of friendships.
Some people talk about other people, just because they don't have
anything else to say, and they'll tell just about anything so that
people will like them. It may seem like some of the things that
people gossip about aren't really bad, but if it's something that you
wouldn't want told about you, then it isn't right. People who listen
to gossip are just as wrong as the people who tell it. If somebody
tells you something about someone that is not anybody's business,
change the subject to something that God would like, and don't repeat
what you heard.
Proverbs 26:20
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no
talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
If there is no wood, the fire will go out, so where there is no
gossip, there is no trouble.
How can you avoid gossip? Well, you can't un-hear something, but you
can sure not repeat something that you know is gossip.
If someone starts a sentence with:
- Did you hear .....?
- Guess what so and so did .....? Or
- Did you know that .....?
You can bet that it's gossip. If you have friends who do this a lot,
you would be a good friend if you told them that you don't want to
gossip about things that aren't your business, and that the Bible
says not to. If your 'friends' don't like the Truth that you tell, it
may be time to find some friends that understand your wishes to live
by God's plan.
Being a good friend also means being loyal, and that means in good
times and in bad times. That doesn't mean defending something wrong,
but it means being true to your friend because you know how good they
are. For example, if somebody says something about your friend, you
wouldn't stand by quietly because you're afraid to stand up for them.
You would defend your friend, just like you would want them to defend
you if you weren't there to speak up for yourself.
There is a story in Matthew
26:69-75 about the Apostle Peter, who denied his friendship with
Jesus, because he was afraid of what people would think of him if he
said he was one of Jesus' Apostles. Peter learned a great lesson,
that being a loyal and true friend is more important than what anyone
else might think.
What does a good friend do if your friend does something wrong? You
can't very well stand up for something you know is wrong, so the best
thing to do is tell your friend the Truth about what they did being
wrong, and urge them to ask God for forgiveness and to make things
right with whoever they did wrong to. Another great thing to do is to
pray for them.
Many people are jealous of their own friends. If you want to have
things that your friends have, or be like your friends are, you'll
find that it's hard to be happy. This is called selfishness, when you
want good things for yourself and can't find happiness in your heart
when it happens for others. Being a good friend means being happy for
the good things that happen in your friends' lives. God wants us to
lift our friends up, not step on them so we can be taller. We're all
different, and God has different plans for each of us. If you get
what your friend has, or become just exactly like your friend, you
wouldn't like it much anyway, because it's not God's plan for you.
The next time something good happens to one of your friends, reach
out and give them a friendly and heartfelt congratulations and be
truly happy for them. Imagine how proud God will be of you, and soon
something good will happen to you ... Something different, but
something special that God has planned just for you.
While we're talking about being selfish, attention is something that
a good friend doesn't need from their friends. If you're with a group
of friends, being the center of attention or always talking about
yourself, and not being interested in anything about the others is
very selfish. A good friend makes sure that nobody is ignored in a
group or feels left out. Try and talk to everybody so nobody feels
like you think anyone is better than anyone else.
John the Baptist was kin to Jesus, but he was also a good friend to
Him.
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
John said that Jesus must become more important, and John must become
less important. We all know how good it feels when somebody else
makes us feel important. John the Baptist was sent to announce the
arrival of Jesus to the world ... Just think of how Jesus will work
through us, if we make people feel more important than ourselves.
John 15:12-15
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I
have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant
knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for
all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Jesus gave us commandment, to love each other, the way that He loved
us. He even died for us. The best friend you can have is Jesus Christ.
Hang around with Him a lot!
Child of God Step #2
Be sure to write something in your journal or diary to God.
When you find something that you know will help someone, you want to
share it ... Especially with a friend.
For this Step simply tell a friend about the Child of God program.
You can reread this page at any time and as many times as you like.
But please choose not to go on to the next step until tomorrow.
To continue the Child of God program, be sure and bookmark or save
this page so you can return tomorrow and select:
Step #3
And I'll meet you there!
If you have any questions about the program, you can contact us at:
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