How to Encourage Godly Friendships for Your Child.

We, as social creatures, are naturally drawn to friends and friendships.

As a homeschooling parent, from a remote farming area, one of the main questions I am asked is how and where do my children find and make friends?

As a parent I firmly believe that it is my responsibility to help find friends for my children and to steer them towards Godly relationships.

Most of my children’s friendships come from their sporting interactions, where they are with children who share a common interest. This is a good basis for forming friendships.

However, I don’t leave their friendships to chance, so we talk about the people they meet and what has drawn them together as friends. -Also, why they may not want to become friends with them, which can make for interesting car conversations! However, I also like to following guidelines, in order to assist me to lead and shape my children’s friendships.

Use these 10 Guidelines to Encourage Godly Friendships for Your Child.

1. Pray for your child’s friendships.
2. Teach your child that a faithful friend is an image of God!
3. Parents have the POWER of God and the TRUTH of His Word behind them.
4. How do you encourage your child to be attracted to good people?
5. Keep an open heart and mind, whilst encouraging your child to share with you.
6. Allow the will of God to prevail, concerning your child’s friendships.
7. Teach your child to love others, to be kind and compassionate to all.
8. Teach your child to be a faithful witness and to keep Jesus at the center of their friendship.
9. Your own examples in friendship will be the most profound lessons your child will learn.
10. Don’t stand for someone leading your child astray!

1.Pray for your child’s friendships.

• One of the toughest and touchiest aspects of parenting, is your child’s friendships.
• We all know what it is to experience the dismay, fear and heartache associated with difficult friendships.
• If you have reservations about a friend, pray for them, so that they may be changed,- or removed from your child’s life.
• Ask for wisdom, before you act.
• Pray for unbelieving friends to receive the Lord -and for strong believing friends to come into their lives.

2. Teach your child that a faithful friend is an image of God!

• What a wonderful way to put friendship!
• God clearly instructs us not to be unequally yoked to unbelievers.
• Your child’s closest friends should be Believers.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians: 6:14

“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed.” Amos 3:3

3. Parents, we have the POWER OF GOD and THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD behind us.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm:1:1

4. How do you encourage your child to be drawn to good people?

• Talk to your child about their friends, common values and character, whilst teaching them to use common sense.
• Pray with your child about God’s will for their lives, concerning friendships.

5. Keep an open heart and mind, whilst encouraging your child to share with you.

• Chat to your child about all the children they come across each week.
• Help them to understand why some children are difficult, or bullies etc.
• Help them to find God within each child.
• Teach them the discernment they need when talking to people.
• Be open for them to bring anything back to you, for discussion.
• Trust your child to exercise good judgement and to make a genuine attempt to understand what they see in a person they have befriended.
• Remember that you are helping your child construct a worldview about people in general.

6. Allow the will of God to prevail, concerning your child’s friendships.

• You child may be singled out, by God, as an ambassador to someone. The end result could enhance the other person’s life.
• This requires a parent to have a discerning heart.
• Therefore remember that most people are put into our lives by God. Pray about it and ask God to remove those he does not want in your child’s life.
• Accept that you may have to step in to end a friendship.

7. Teach your child to love all others, to be kind and compassionate to all.

• Loving people and liking people are two different things, which we need to teach to our children. It is alright to dislike the actions of others, without hating them.
• Teach your child that it is not OK to call people names, curse or belittle them! Talking about others as ‘stupid’, ‘useless’, ‘ugly’ -etc., is ungodly talk.
• Teach your child to pray for difficult people and to see people as God does.

8. Teach your child to be a faithful witnesses and to keep Jesus at the center of their friendships.

• With modern technology which allows ungodly and often demonic teachings into a child’s life, it is extremely important to keep Jesus at the center of your home.
• Give your child a discerning heart and the courage to turn away from evil.

9. Your own examples in friendship will be the most profound lessons your child will learn.

10. Don’t stand for someone leading your child astray!

• There is too much in the scriptures about the importance of the company we keep, to take a passive approach to this issue.
• Stay vigilant and keep the lines of communication open to your child.
• Be prepared to step in, when required. You may be unpopular, but you have been given a precious child to guide and protect.
• Pray before you act!

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil.” Proverbs 4:14.

Conclusion:

Therefore, as a parent, we are responsible for our child’s socialization and friendships.

We should embrace this and seek God’s guidance each and every day. This will help us enable our child to learn how to create wonderful friendships, with the correct socialization skills.

-So, whether you are homeschooling your child or sending him/her to conventional school, don’t overlook the influence you have on your child’s friends, through prayer.

God is the God of miracles…

Prayer: “Heavenly Father I lift my children to You and ask that You would bring Godly friends and role models into their lives. I ask You to teach my children the meaning of true friendship. -How to be good friends, whilst making strong, lasting relationships. May each friendship glorify You. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

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Please tell me how you help your child find Godly friends…..