As a young girl, my mom taught me to think for myself.  She did not want me to follow the crowd; succumb to peer pressure; or do things that I knew were wrong.  One particular thing I remember her saying was, “If Susie jumps off the bridge, are you going to jump off too?”.  This of course was her way of telling me not to blindly follow someone who I knew was doing something wrong that could hurt me or others. Plus, it was her way of reminding me that she was not Susie’s mom.

Now, I am sure we can all think of at least one friend whose parents allowed her/him to do things that we were not allowed.  For me, this friend was Marjorie Johnson (if someone knows her, please tell her, “Hi” for me 😊).  I loved hanging out with her.  She was funny, cool, loud, and had more freedom than me.  Thus, my family was not a fan.

One time, my mom surprised me with tickets to Tony Orlando and Dawn -my favorite musical performer of the 70’s.  While at the venue, my sister Deneen who knew the real reason why we were there (I thought we were there to see a circus-I guess I was a little oblivious to all the posters of an “Old oak tree with a 100 yellow ribbons around it”), asked me, “What would you do to see Tony Orlando?”  In my naivete, I said, “Anything!”  Completely fell into her trap.  She said, “Would you stop acting like Marjorie all the time?”  My response was an immediate, “Yes!”  Seconds later, the announcer introduced my musical hero, and I was committed to being less infected by Marjorie and her ways.

Now, as I think back, it was a blessing in disguise because I can see how it was a pivoting moment for me. Choosing to heedfully lead over thoughtlessly following began to develop in my character. It became important to be cautious of who “I hung around with”. Thus, surrounding myself with close friends who mutually edified, supported, and brought laughter became natural.

Let’s think about all the old-time sayings that reveal the power of friendships: “Two peas in a pod; Birds of a feather-flock together; Attached at the hip; They are hand in glove; Thick as thieves.  This friendship bond is sometimes stronger than our ties with family because we choose to be in a relationship with that person. To reinforce the value of good friends here are some verses that describe God’s design for friendships. 

1.       “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. Proverbs 18:24

2.       “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice”. Prov 27:9

3.       “Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. John 15:13

Friendships are priceless, and God is the Creator of both the peas and the pod.  Moreover, He wants to be your friend through Christ-For there is no better friend than the friend we have in Jesus; Who laid down His life for us.  When we develop a close relationship with Christ, He is more than our friend, He is the best Influencer ever!

**Over the next several posts, I am going to show some more spiritual ways we can choose to be a positive influence over people, things, and circumstances instead of allowing them to negatively infect us. 

Song: Alan Jackson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znWu2HCJ92c