When you find yourself increasingly mixing with friends that drain you, criticise you, don’t listen to you and don’t encourage you, then think twice about how much time you spend with them.
Kingdom friendships offer help and support, wisdom and advice. Those friendships are positive when you feel down and supportive when you can seem to help yourself. Focus on the people that have that relationship with you and you with them. It might be time to move on with some other friendships.
Proverbs 18:24 says, ‘There are “friends” who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ (TLB) When we walk with Christ in the journey of life, it's tough sometimes when friends don’t share the same enthusiasm for that that you do. Don’t let that stop you; just find a way to do it anyway. Focus on Jesus for help.
Quote
Don’t let bad friendships pull your enthusiasm for Jesus down.
Prayer
Lord, I pray for my friends who are negative and discouraged that they will find vision in their lives. Amen.
Action Point
Focus, focus, focus. You don’t have to cut people off; simply help them get to a positive place with Jesus.
Copyright notices
(TLB) The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Use in other publications. You can use all of this devotional when including this credit. Copyright © Carl Brettle. Subscribe for free via www.faithlift.org