Courtesy of Wambie.com

We were created by God to be connected with others in relationships. God created Adam so he could fellowship with him. God created Eve to fellowship with Adam. God’s word says in Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for the man to be alone.” God knew that we would need friends. There is something designed in all of us that desires to connect with others, teenagers are no exception. Teenagers seem to have a strong desire to be part of “the group”. This means different things to different people, however, the bottom line is, everyone wants to “belong”.

Wanting to belong and have meaningful friendship is great, however, to what extent will you go to “belong”, or be able to say that someone is your “friend”. This is where I see that most teenage girls get trapped. They want to “fit in” so badly that they often make poor choices that often lead to heartaches and disappointments.

Can anyone out there relate???

First of all, I would like to share that if you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you already belong to the greatest family ever…God’s family! As a member of God’s family you are royalty, I know what you are thinking…”Me, royalty”? Yes, YOU! You have been “Fearfully and wonderfully made”, (Psalm 139:14). Now that you know how special God made you, I am going to present this challenge to you.

Instead of trying to “fit in” to some popular group, ask yourself this question. “Who is worthy to be MY friend”?

Have you ever thought that the friends you chose should be those who deserve your friendship? Have you ever tried really hard to be accepted, sometimes compromising your own character to do so, only to find out that afterwards, that person(s) turned their back on you? If this sounds familiar, you are not alone!

So here is where my challenge comes into play.

Instead of trying to fit into others expectations of a friend, begin today, to make decisions regarding the type of friends you would really like in your life. Friendships based on loyalty, respect, kindness and love. (Love based on actions and not just words). Those are the types of people who are “worthy” of your friendship.

Do not sell yourself short just to “fit in”.

Respect yourself enough to trust God to bring the right friends across your path, and do not settle for “fake friendships”. I know this will be difficult at first, but it will be well worth your effort. Choosing your friends wisely will save you much heartache.

You may ask, “How do I know if a person will be a good friend”?

You can start by asking yourself a few questions. First of all, how do they treat others that they are in relationship with, because they are likely to treat you the same way. Secondly, do you have to compromise anything about yourself for them to “let you” be their friend? These are just a few. I trust that God will give you a witness in your spirit regarding those people who are “worthy to be your friend”, just ask him to help you. You are special and deserve “good” friends in your life. You are loved!

This is your opportunity to share your thoughts/comments regarding popularity. Please share how this article relates to your life, feel free to ask questions and let’s dialogue (or, “talk”) together around God’s principles.