Friendship is a word we take for granted much of our lives. For friendship is a devotion to a person, place, or thing. Now I won’t go into detail of a place but if it becomes an object of worship over your relationship to God it has become an idol or worldly craving.

Now it is very easy for us as God’s people to be friends of the world thinking we can win people to Jesus. But would you be the best friend with a person who had brought harm to people? Would you be best friend with someone who was doing drugs in front of you? Would you hang with people who misused God’s name in vain all the time? I believe there comes a time in our lives when we have to choose whom we serve. As a reminder: I am not talking about a spouse or family member. I am talking about people that you choose to be a friend with.

Continue to pray for them and keep witnessing when the Lord allows you to do it. But be careful when you keep company with ungodly people. They can really pull you down and tempt you to keep your eyes off of your Lord.

I found that to be true when I was a young Christian. It was so easy to share what Jesus had done in my life and my old friends would listen and than they would make fun of me. I finally found for a time God wanted me all to himself where my faith would grow and I would know exactly what word’s to say when my old friends would say, “still going to church with the Christian’s?” Now this is one aspect of being friends of the world.

Another is the new thing in society, you do your thing and I will do mine. That may be true to some but a child of God only knows one way and that is to the Savior. No wonder God sent his Son for us because our world had that same attitude, you worship your God and I will worship my god’s. We have only one God of all creation and we who have received his Son worship God in Spirit and in truth. We have to be careful not to worship our humanness. For in that it can become an excuse for sin. Like for example: I did what I did because my parents or life handed me a bad rap. Seriously, that is an excuse or cover-up for your personal sin. Now you may not agree with me but the days we live in have created excuses for everything we do.

When you consider anything that keeps your eyes off of the Lord it becomes a stumbling block in your life. Ponder in your heart over these challenges and ask the Savior: “Lord is there someone, something, or someplace more important than you?” Then ask the Lord to guide you in how you can be freed from the world’s entanglement.
Below are scriptures to pray about and some to read. I pray this will encourage you to seek your Savior and find peace in him.

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”
I Timothy 6:17
You can read further scripture to show us that friendship with the world is dangerous:
James 4:4; I John 2:15.

God has given us his Son to show us how we can relate in the world but not be best friends with it. I pray as you read this that your heart will be challenged to start sorting out what is worthy of friendship.

Father help me today to only be content in what you have given me. Help me not to think that friendship of the world is gain. Help me to be strong and not risk the peace you give me daily in my life. Lord, give me wisdom when selecting my friends and may I be an encourager to worship you and you only. I thank you Jesus for this wonderful day in you. In Jesus Name. AMEN