Friends who give godly advice

Read this: Proverbs 12:26

"The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray."

Think about it:

What do you think this scripture is saying?

What do you think it means when it says, the godly give good advice to their friends?

What about, the wicked lead them astray?

Really think about this. Do your friends lead you to Christ by giving you godly advice and being godly examples, or do they act just the opposite by giving you advice that only leads to sin?

I know it's hard sometimes when your friends want you to do something that you know isn't right, but are they really such a good friend when they don't care about your spiritual life?

Now, I'm not saying that you won't have friends who will make mistakes. We all make mistakes so we need to be there for each other and show each other the right way.

But ... there are those friends who keep leading us the wrong way, and those friends unfortunately need to be left alone. You might want to separate yourself from those type of friends or tell them that you love them but in order for you to hang out, they are going to have to understand what you believe and what your life stands for. They need to understand that you aren't going to live like they do.

Also, those type of friends need lots of prayer. Don't be mean and tell them that they are wrong. Just love them and pray for them. But also don't let what they do cause you to stumble into sin.

Pray about it: Ask God to show you those friends who you might need to spend some time away from. Ask Him to show you how to handle that situation, whether it be to pray for that friend, stand up to them or to separate yourself from them for a while. Ask God to bring good influences into your life, friends who will lead you on the path that leads to Christ. Ask God to show you what a real, lasting, godly friendship looks like. Thank him for those relationships that you do have that are godly. Also, pray for those friends who need help and guidance ... and if God moves you to it, help them through it.

Live it: Friendships are touchy things. One minute you and your friend are friends for life, and the next you might be madder than mad and talking behind each other's backs ... but here's the deal ... don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. If your friend is doing something wrong or acting in a way that you know isn't acceptable to God, gently ask them to stop or even tell them that you would like to talk with them and pray with them about their problem or bad behavior. Now I'm not saying you need to go around judging your friends, but tell them that you love them, and that you want them to live a life that pleases God and that when you slip up, you would want them to do the same for you. So today, go ahead ... don't be afraid. If you are in a not-so-good relationship with a friend, be courageous and let God work things out!

Love you and have a great day!