Teens Meet Outreach

As teenagers, we love to make friends that we can talk with, share our feelings with, solicit advice from, hangout with, etc. One key principle about friendship I would give is this: Choose your friends; don’t let them choose you.

If you choose your friends, you would be able to surround yourself with like minded people, because most of the time, we attract people who are like us. Our friends determine how far we would go in life; if you have mediocre friends, you would sink in mediocrity because their mediocrity would surely rub off on you. If you walk with people with great ambitions in life, you would be influenced by them to also be great in life.

Do you know that your friends go a long way in influencing your spiritual life? There are certain friends you would chat with and because of the nature of what they say, you would be forced to either excuse yourself, or say things you are not supposed to say and later ask God for forgiveness.

And there are certain friends you have that after speaking with them; your fire for God would be ignited, your soul would be refreshed and your mind renewed. 

Let’s examine some friendships as recorded in the bible

1. Daniel and the three Hebrew friends:

This is a popular story in the first chapter of the book of Daniel, about Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. We read how these friends came together and did the right thing by purposing in their heart not to defile themselves by eating the King’s meal. And as a result, God separated them from among others and made them more good looking, wiser and better than the other young men.

Daniel 1:17-20  As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego): therefore stood they before the king.

And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

The pact made by these friends was a positive one which paid off for them later in life.

2. Ammon and Jonadab

2 Samuel 13:1-5  And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.

And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.

And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.

In this story, it was narrated how Ammon was ill advised by his friend, Jonadab. This led him to raping his sister in the verses that followed; thus shaming her and even leading to his own death later on.

2 Samuel 13:32  And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

These stories tell us how far your friends can go in influencing your life.Who are your friends? Who do you spend most of your time with? Who do you seek advice from? I think it is time for you to check your friendship circle and sanitize.

Kinsha cares.

How often do you examine your circle of friends? Feel free to share with me in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to not miss a post.