Through the years, I have had parents periodically ask me if they had a right to have a say in the friendships of their children. Every time I have been asked that question, I have had to curb the passion and enthusiasm with which I wanted to answer. However, my answer still came out as an emphatic “Yes! Absolutely! You not only have the right, but you have the responsibility to have a say in the friendships of your children!”
But let’s not relegate the selection of friends as a youth issue. This is an issue that impacts all of us for the better or for the worse.
Jane Higdon, our late sister and fellow member of the Karns congregation, wrote the following words of wisdom nearly fifteen years ago:
“God blessed me with a friend when I graduated high school, and we formed a friendship that spans several decades. What a graduation gift! She is the busy wife of a dedicated gospel preacher, a servant of our Lord, and her days have no closing time. When I am sick, she calls me regularly, and I can feel concern for me in her voice. Through the years, however, time, miles, and busy schedules have kept us physically apart, but love and prayers have kept our friendship strong…It’s because of her love for our Lord and our friendship that I am a stronger Christian today. Our choice of friends reflects our relationship with our heavenly Father. Choose wisely. They can help us get to heaven or lead us into the world, making us enemies of God (James 4:4).”
Jane said it well, and it is worth repeating for the sake of contemplation – “Our choice of friends reflects our relationship with our heavenly Father.”
Our choice of friends reveals much about our interests and goals. Do we want to go to heaven? Then, we need to surround ourselves with people who want to go there, too. Do we want to be a stronger Christian? Then, we need to associate with people who are spiritually mature. Don’t exclude the lost from our list of friends, but make certain that we are influenced the most by those who are making plans for the next life.