Who Are Your Friends

We all have friends. We have the "school friends" that we only see during the school year. We have are "close friends" and they are the ones we like to hang out with. Then we have our "best friends" or our BFF's that we tell every little secret to. The friends we hang out with have an influence on who we are. The thing is that the influences aren't always the best. If you hang out with people who are a bad influence, then we pick up on their bad habits. If you hang around someone who is a good influence, then you pick up on their good habits. Proverbs 22:24-25 says, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered,  or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared." This verse is warning us that if we get involved with the wrong crowd, then we set ourselves to get trap in their ways. It not saying that you can't associate with anyone who is like this, they just shouldn't be a close friend. A person who you want as a close friend is one who follow Christ. They can encourage you with your walk with God, and they can be fun to hang around with too. It is harder to find a friend like that, but trust me they are out there. I just had and hour and a half conversation with a friend yesterday, and we had lots of fun. I have another friend who I just found out likes the same band (R5) as me. We talked on Facebook about how good their music video was , that R5 just released yesterday. Both of these friends are strong Christians, but they are also just people who love to hang out. There are people out there who have the same interest that you do, and they are Christian. Trust me, these friendships that you make will add more to your live, then just a person who you like to hang out with. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
I know I have many friends, and not all of them are leaving the best influence on me. Please help me distinguish who I can hang out with, and who I may need to add some distance between us. Can you please also help me find some close Christian friends who can help me grow in my faith. Thank you for your love, and I pray that I can find someone who reflects you love, and I pray that I can reflect you love on my friends. Amen.