Friends (Part 1)

Psalm 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."


A big part of who you become in life has to do with who you choose to surround yourself with.  You can't control who walks into your life, but you can decide who you let stay, who you pursue, and who you let walk back out.

Ultimately, you should surround yourself with people who make you a better person and let go of those who don’t.  It’s obvious, but any friendship without regular interaction and communication is going to have problems, especially when there’s a lack of commitment.

Don’t waste your time with people who only want you around when it’s convenient for them.  You shouldn’t have to force someone to make a space in their life for you, because if they truly care about you they will gladly create space for you. Being in a friendship with someone who overlooks your worth isn’t loyalty, it’s discouraging.  Never beg someone for attention.  Know your self-worth, and move on if you must.

People who refuse to accept that you are no longer who you used to be are that you’ve made mistakes in the past, learned from them, and moved past them may not be able to stand the fact that you’re growing and moving on with your life. So they will try to bring your past failures up to hurt you.  Do not help them by acknowledging their negative behavior.  Keep moving forward.

Holding on to a forgiven past is a waste of energy and serves no purpose in creating a better day today.  If someone continuously judges you by your past and holds it against you, you might have to repair your future by leaving them behind.

Healthy friendships keep the doors and windows wide open.  Plenty of air is flowing and no one feels trapped.  Relationships thrive in this kind of unrestricted environment.  You can come and go as you please, but you choose to stay because where you are is where you want to be.

If you want to be a part of someone’s life, all the open doors and windows in the world won’t make you leave.  If someone has closed them all in an effort to trap you into something you don’t want to be a part of, it’s time to find the strength to kick down the door and focus on what you know is right. When you met Jesus your life changed!  

If you allow others to define your dreams and abilities, then you enable them to hold you back.  What you’re capable of achieving is not a function of what other people think is possible for you.  What you’re capable of achieving depends on what you choose to do with your time and energy in serving the Lord.

People will throw all sorts of assumptions your way about what is possible and what is impossible.  Look beyond the presumptions and mental limitations of others, and connect with the Lord's vision of how your life can be.  Life is an open-ended journey, and what you achieve comes from what you expect to achieve and what you work to achieve through faith in Jesus Christ.

So don’t worry about what everyone else thinks.  Keep living the truth.  The only people that will get mad at you for doing so are those who want you to live a lie.