Playing with friends at recess is a blast, until someone keeps saying mean things, bosses everyone around, or dares you to break the rules. The friends you spend the most time with shape who you become. That’s why God wants you to choose good friends who help you follow him.

Friends Rub Off on You

The Bible is clear that our friends affect us, for good or for bad.

Proverbs 13:20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Paul put it this way: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). If you hang out with kids who make bad choices, it gets easier to make bad choices too.

Watch Out for Poisonous Friendships

Some friendships can hurt your heart and pull you away from what’s right. A poisonous friend might always be negative, try to control you, or push you to disobey your parents or teachers. You can still be kind to everyone (Romans 12:18). But you don’t have to let their behavior shape you. It’s okay to set a healthy boundary and spend more time with other friends.

Look for Good Friends, and Be One

Good friends encourage you to make good choices, tell the truth, and treat others kindly. The Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

The best way to find a good friend is to be one!

The Takeaway

Choose friends who help you follow Jesus. This week, before you decide who to hang out with, ask, “Does this person help me follow Jesus, or do they try to get me into trouble?” And work on being a good friend yourself.

Discuss and Dive Deeper

Talk about it:

  1. Read “The Takeaway” above together. What’s one thing you learned?
  2. If you invented a goofy friendship tester, what light would flash and what sound would it make when it found a loyal friend?
  3. Read Proverbs 13:20 together. What happens when you spend time with wise friends?
  4. Parents, share a time you had to deal with a bad influence or a bossy friend as a kid. How did you handle it?
  5. Why is it hard to say no when a friend dares you to do something wrong? How can Jesus give you the strength to stand firm?
  6. What is one quality your family can look for in good friends, and how can you practice being that kind of friend this week?
  7. Take turns praying for your friends, and ask God to help each person be a good friend.

See also:

Toxic (Family Devo)

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