Godly Friendships: Why Are They So Important?

When I found out that the blog topic for this month is friendship, I honestly got so excited. Godly friendship and biblical community is something I am extremely passionate about because I’ve seen firsthand the importance of the both of them. I’ve walked through seasons of life without genuine community, but I’ve also been so lucky to be surrounded by some incredible people of God who know me, love me, and point me to Jesus in everything they do. These people have played such a pivotal role in my walk with Christ and I want to encourage you to find people who will do the same for you.

Here are just a few reasons why godly friendships are so important:

1. We are designed to live in community. God doesn’t just casually suggest we have community, He genuinely wants us immersed in it because He knows how badly we need it. He created us to be together; to live, celebrate, laugh, cry, mourn and rejoice together. God is actually glorified when His people gather together. We are His creation, so when we take the time to enjoy and admire the people in our lives, we are honoring the Lord. He made humans with the same thoughtfulness and intentionality as He did the heavens and the earth, so enjoying another’s company is enjoying creation. Mind blown.
2. They make us better. Have you ever noticed that when you start hanging out with a person a lot you start to rub off on each other? You pick up each other’s slang words, start acting like the other, and suddenly you like hummus because they introduced you to it. Naturally, we are changed by our surroundings. When we surround ourselves with godly people, their godliness rubs off on us. And that’s the way God wants it. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
3. They encourage us. When I look back on the difficult seasons of life I’ve walked through, I can’t imagine walking through them without my people; the people who believed in me, spoke truth to me, celebrated with me, and reminded me of my worth. Our friends should be our biggest cheerleaders and confidants, because let’s be real, life is hard. And without people helping us along the way, it’s even harder. We need friends who build us up and push us to keep going.
4. They tell us what we need to hear. It isn’t always rainbows and sunshine in Christ-centered friendships. In fact, sometimes they’re just downright messy and hard. Why? Because good, authentic, godly friends will tell us what we need to hear even when it’s difficult. They care enough about us to tell us the truth, and sometimes, the truth hurts. However, this does not come from a place of pride or judgement, but of humility and gentleness. We all need people who will hold us accountable for our sin, but also uplift and encourage us and make us feel like a million bucks.

You may be thinking, “I want these types of friends, but I don’t know how to find them!” Trust me, I’ve been there, and I know they’re not easy to find. But I know this, God will bring you biblical community and Christ-centered friendships, but we must do our part in the process.

PRAY: Pray for opportunities to find Christian friends. Ask the Lord to show you where to look. Seek the Lord’s wisdom in finding these people and He will be faithful to answer your prayers.
PLACE YOURSELF IN COMMUNITY: Most likely, godly friends aren’t just going to show up at your doorstep one day. Although, God is a God of miracles, so never say never! BUT, we must be bold enough to place ourselves in community. Put yourself out there. Go to that event, attend that bible study, do all that you can to surround yourself with other Christians, and Jesus will do the rest. ​

Written by: McKenna 

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