Daily Delight
A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. –Proverbs 27:9
I can count on one hand the amount of true, authentic Christian friendships I have. Good friends are hard to come by—even with fellow believers—but when God blesses you with one it makes it worth the wait. Life is suddenly so much sweeter.
I’m so grateful for the deeply rooted friendships God has gifted me with. However, I have had my fair share of toxic friendships too. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that a friendship is unhealthy. Or, even worse, we might be completely unaware of the fact that it’s not good for us.
As believers, it’s extremely important for us to educate ourselves on the importance of genuine Christian friendships. Unfortunately, there is a difference between having a friend who is a Christian and having a friendship rooted in Christ. We need to make sure that we are not only surrounding ourselves with friendships rooted in Christ, but that we are living out the qualities found in one as well.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important traits of a Christ-centered friendship.
1) A Christ-centered friendship is life-giving and mutually beneficial. Both friends believe in the importance of investing in one another, praying for one another, building each other up, and extending forgiveness without holding grudges.
2) A friendship rooted in Christ demonstrates the willingness to be honest, even when it involves having to initiate a hard conversation. Even though the message might be hard to hear, it’s always delivered from a place of love and grace because of the mutual trust and acceptance the friendship is founded on.
3) Christ-centered friendships are good company. They do not encourage conversation centered on gossip, but instead conversation geared towards refreshing one another’s joy and building each other up.
4) A Christ-centered friendship is built on a foundation of trust. This special trust welcomes every weakness and imperfection; a trust that sheds light into our darkness and speaks life over us. When we walk through the valley of death, they walk with us too.
5) The heartbeat of a friendship rooted in Christ is unconditional love. They will cheer you on when no one else does and speak the truth when no one else will. They will love you despite your sin and advise you and hold you accountable in ways that will lead to spiritual maturation. They will celebrate your successes and encourage you to keep going when you have failed because they know what you are capable of. They will still show up, even when they don’t have the words to say, to be your listening ear.
Take inventory of your friendships. Ask yourself if they reflect the traits mentioned above. True Christian friends are invaluable. They are rare treasures that we should not take for granted. Make room for them.
About the Author
Emily Lauren Cardel
Elle is a 24-year-old, sweet home Tennessee kind of gal who is fiercely passionate about chasing the call of her Creator. She lives in Murfreesboro, TN with her husband Michael and their precious pup Tucker.
She founded Daughter of Delight in 2014 and is filled with great joy to see God's plans for this ministry continue to unfold within His greater Kingdom story.
In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her besties, snuggling on the couch with her hubby and pup, listening to #girlboss podcasts, writing, and drinking Fair Trade coffee in its purest form...black!