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4 Biblical Ways To Develop Godly Friendships

Categories Featured, Godly Relationships

In this post, we will look at 4 ways you can develop and grow in your Godly friendships. So, grab your Bible, and let’s dive in…

If we want friendships that last, then we have to develop and cultivate them the biblical way. The Bible has principles that we can adopt as we seek to have friendships with the people we meet in social places. Friendship is divine, and therefore your friends should have the approval of God for them to be in your life.

We have seen the impact of wrong friendships in our lives and those of others around us. Friendships can either lead you in the right or wrong direction. Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers” (Psalm 1:1). We are to avoid friendships that lead us away from God, and hold on to the ones that lead us closer to Him.

In this article, we will look at 5 biblical principles on how to develop and cultivate godly friendships. Godly friendships will bless your life and inspire you to grow in your faith in Jesus Christ.

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4 Ways to Develope Godly Relationships

1.   Form Friendships Guided by the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 30:1 tells us that God is against the forming of alliances that are not by His Spirit. This means that God wants to be involved in the selection of those who will become our friends.

This is important because it ensures that we have the right friends in our lives. If there are any friendships that don’t need to be in our lives, God will reveal them to us, and show us how to graciously let them go.

King Jehoshaphat feared the Lord, but his problem was that he allied himself with the evil kings of Israel. He formed an alliance with King Ahab and then with his son King Ahaziah. Jehoshaphat made ships together with Ahaziah to go to Tarshish.

But a prophet named Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying that the Lord had destroyed his works because of his alliance with Ahaziah, who was a wicked man (2 Chronicles 20:35-37). The ships never sailed because they were destroyed.

When we form alliances with friends who are ungodly, we face the risk of destruction when we get into trouble with them. We need to end such friendships and allow God to bring in new ones with godly people.

2.   Be Friends with People of Good Character

According to 1 Corinthians 15:33, we should not be misled when it comes to bad company. It says that this kind of company corrupts good character. This means that we should be friends with people of godly character. Those who are of questionable character are likely to influence us to do things which are outside God’s will.

Some friends will tell you how they are saved, but still want you to join them in doing ungodly things and expect you not to judge them. Friends of good character will never ask you to do things that go contrary to your faith. They know what the Word of God says and live by it every day.

Character is something we should look out for when developing new friendships. It is not worth it to cultivate friendships with those who are not godly, they will lead us astray and away from God. Ask God to reveal the character of new friendships that you want to develop to ensure your friendships are godly and healthy.  

3.   Your Close Friends Should Be Believers

2 Corinthians 6:14 says that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. This is because friends are people who speak into our lives and give us godly advice. Those who have not accepted Christ do not have His Spirit in them and cannot understand spiritual things. This means that we are not on the same page spiritually, and friendship with an unbeliever will not help you grow in your faith.

Friends who are unbelievers will advise you based on the principles of the world, which we are not to conform to. They cannot understand spiritual things and will not understand many things that you would want to talk about. They are not able to help you grow in your faith because they are yet to come into it. Ensure that you are equally yoked spiritually with the friends you want to have close to you.

Your friends should share the same faith in Jesus Christ as you do so that they can be a good support system regarding godly things. Those who are not born again in your life cannot be your close confidants or those who speak into your life.

4.   Friends Who Love You

Not all those you call friends in your life will love you. Some will be there because you fell into a friendship or that it is convenient for them to be friends with you. It’s important to have friends who love you and are there for you during all seasons of your life. In John 15:12, Jesus told us that we should love one another as He has loved us. This means that we love others with the love of Christ.

The world has defined for us what love means, but the Bible gives us the true meaning of love. The love of Christ will never fade in our hearts, and it allows us to love even those we naturally would not. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 shows us what God means by love. It says that love is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, and is not proud. Love keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.

The above Scripture shows us what God means by love, and we can use it to ensure that we too love others with the love of God.

There are other principles in the Bible for developing godly friendships, but the above 4 have been the focus of this article. Pray for the wisdom to develop and cultivate friendships and ask God to show you more principles in His Word.

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