Read 1 Corinthians 15:33: "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'"Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another."
Are you a good judge of character? Usually this type of discernment comes from experience, and since you girls have not been on this earth very long, you are at a disadvantage. Have you ever become friends with a girl whom you thought was one way, and then turned out to be completely different than you thought? I know that happened to me when I was a teenager! I had a close friend in high school who I discovered years later was a completely different person than I thought she was. She led a double life and had been doing things in high school that I had been completely unaware of. Like it or not, the friends you choose have a major influence on you as a teenager. They will without a doubt sway you one way or another and impact you for better or for worse. Let's look at what Scripture says about the power of friendships.
1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us not to be misled. It reminds us that "Bad company corrupts good character." Oftentimes we are misled (as I was in high school) by someone's true character. Everyone told me that my friend in high school wasn't who I thought she was, but I didn't believe them. Instead, I was mislead about my friend's real character. We can also be mislead by thinking that hanging out with "bad company" won't really affect us. We think that there is no real harm in spending time with these kids, even if they are a bad influence. We think that we are strong enough in our faith and integrity that we won't compromise our morals just because we are hanging out with the wrong crowd. It is so important to remember that no one is immune from any kind of temptation to sin! We must continually be on our guard against any kind of sin, because we are all prone to fall. As soon as you start to think that you are above a certain temptation and don't need to bother guarding yourself from it, you will fall! Don't be deceived into thinking that the bad company you keep won't affect you, because it certainly will.
While friends can negatively affect you and bring you down, they can also have a positive effect on you and build you up. Proverbs 27:17 says, "iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." The right friends have the ability to help you grow as a believer. Their qualities and strengths can challenge you and "sharpen" you to become more mature believers. I have some wonderful friends that have challenged me by their example. Because I see them display certain qualities, it makes me want to do that as well! Lee really sharpens me by His heart for other people. The way he connects with people he encounters and shows them the love of Christ is such a challenge to me. My friend Meagan sharpens me with her compassion and mercy, my friend Laura sharpens my with her generosity and love, Tiffani challenges me with her faith and passion, Leanna sharpens me with her joy and optimism, and the list goes on and on! Having friends that challenge you in your faith and help you grow into more mature believers is such a blessing. Do you have friends like this? If not, I'd encourage you to seek out friendships with other strong believers. If there aren't any other believers at your school, then the youth group is a great place to bond with other Christians your age. We desperately need other believers to help us along in our faith...we can't do it alone!
Friendships are such an important element in the teenage years. They have the power to bring you down in your faith and lead you away from the Lord. They also have the power to strengthen and encourage you in your faith and draw you closer to God. Which way do you see your friends taking you? After reading this, you may feel convicted to distance yourself from friends that are "bad company." I know that doing this isn't easy, but it is a lot less painful than falling away from the Lord. If you don't have any Christian friends that build you up in the faith, I challenge you to ask God to bring one to you. Get involved in the youth group or other Christian groups at school in order to find some other believing friends. Christian friends are a necessity, not just a luxury. Also pray that the Lord will give you good discernment when you choose your friends, and that you won't be misled~
