Feel like my friends are the problem.

[Pittsburgh Christian]

OK guys, so I grew up in a Christian household, but fell away as I moved up through public school. Well God has found me, and I am now devoting my life to living a life for Christ. But none of my friends are really Christian, or act right. Dirty language, sexual things. But I want to be friends with these guys still, or atleast some of them. But when I hang out with them, that's when I fall the farthest from Christ. I have my worst days of faith when I am with them. But how do you do it? Just stop talking to them forever? That wouldn't even make sense. Advice? Prayers?

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

OK guys, so I grew up in a Christian household, but fell away as I moved up through public school. Well God has found me, and I am now devoting my life to living a life for Christ. But none of my friends are really Christian, or act right. Dirty language, sexual things. But I want to be friends with these guys still, or atleast some of them. But when I hang out with them, that's when I fall the farthest from Christ. I have my worst days of faith when I am with them. But how do you do it? Just stop talking to them forever? That wouldn't even make sense. Advice? Prayers?

In order to regularly see such worldly friends, the Christian has to be up to speed in order to refuse partaking in the things they enjoy. A Christian needs to get themselves seasoned in walking with Christ..and that takes time, cooperation on your part, and Gods sanctification process which isnt instanteous.

Until you reach such a point, i would limit your time with them otherwise the effect they have on you will be not to your Christian Walk benefit. You can still maintain a friendship, but you need many more Christian Friends at this season of your life . Immerse yourself in CHristian Groups at church and otherwise, get into the Word deeply, pray and focus on getting deeper with Christ.

Again, dont write off your Unbelieving Friends but do realize the negative impact they have on you and your lack of self control . By diminishing the amount of hours spent around such worldliness, you will have a better chance at not falling away.

 

[Frenchfrye]

OK guys, so I grew up in a Christian household, but fell away as I moved up through public school. Well God has found me, and I am now devoting my life to living a life for Christ. But none of my friends are really Christian, or act right. Dirty language, sexual things. But I want to be friends with these guys still, or atleast some of them. But when I hang out with them, that's when I fall the farthest from Christ. I have my worst days of faith when I am with them. But how do you do it? Just stop talking to them forever? That wouldn't even make sense. Advice? Prayers?

I was getting through something like that.
I stopped hangout out with them for a while so i could build my relationship with Christ. Now i just saw those friends this last weekend and was able to resist their offers to smoke weed and stuff like that. So that would be my advice.

 

[Life2Christ]

But how do you do it? Just stop talking to them forever?

You may not need to stop talking to them. They may end up isolating you if you behave and act in a way that is pleasing to God. You could also end up being a positive influence on them. The likely scenario though, is that they will probably drag you down. The X factor is how will you talk/behave around them?

 

[madetoworship]

If hanging out with them is really making you fall. You need strength from other believers, brothers in Christ, to help you out.

1.) Do you have friends that are Christian?
2.) Are you attending a church?
3.) Is there a christian club at your school?

The Bible is clear on fleeing from temptation. Change the way you act around your friends and they will clearly see you've changed. Most importantly, start integrating more Christian relationships in your life.

 

[Barricade24]

This may be tricky but if you are around people that cause you to be further from God then you should consider finding some new friends. I know this isn't the best thing to hear but this is one of those cases where God needs to come first. I am not saying you can't talk to these people anymore. But finding some Christian friends might be a good place to start.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Pittsburgh Christian. Two things you must do, Pray to God and keep asking God`s help, and show God that you really want to keep some friends.
In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: "The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus tells us that on those two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Most important! God wants our love, freely given and no tags attached.
Start treating thy friends as you would love to be treated: as a friend, and always
treat them as you would love to be treated. It is not easy, but the best way to show them that you care for their friendship. They might make fun of you at the beginning, and even ridicule you. Try and keep even-tempered.
Jesus will help and guide you, keep asking and thanking God.
( Matthew: 7: 7-8) LOVE and OBEY is the very best way. You might stumble or forget, then get up, ask and thank God, and carry on treating your friends as you would love to be treated. Keep asking and thanking God, and treating your friends as you would love to be treated. With God on your side, who or what can be against you? Jesus will help and guide you, dear Pittsburgh
Christian, and you will find that one or more of your friends, will want to join you. I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Spunkn]

In order to regularly see such worldly friends, the Christian has to be up to speed in order to refuse partaking in the things they enjoy. A Christian needs to get themselves seasoned in walking with Christ..and that takes time, cooperation on your part, and Gods sanctification process which isnt instanteous.

Until you reach such a point, i would limit your time with them otherwise the effect they have on you will be not to your Christian Walk benefit. You can still maintain a friendship, but you need many more Christian Friends at this season of your life . Immerse yourself in CHristian Groups at church and otherwise, get into the Word deeply, pray and focus on getting deeper with Christ.

Again, dont write off your Unbelieving Friends but do realize the negative impact they have on you and your lack of self control . By diminishing the amount of hours spent around such worldliness, you will have a better chance at not falling away.

I'd agree with the above. You can still do some things with them, perhaps not the same things you did before. But you may find that you want to spend less time with them because of the influence they have and also temptations that they regularly get into.

People find that once they became a new person in Christ, old activities that they used to enjoy no longer become enjoyable because Christ allows them to look at those things in a new way. Not saying everything we used to do is terrible, but a lot of the times the stuff we used to do wasn't edifying to God.

So you have to be careful not to let them influence you too much, or cause you to stumble. But that doesn't necessarily mean you automatically get rid of them. You can still do things with them, it just might be different from what you normally did with them before. And if they choose not to do activities which you are okay with, then you may have to find some new friends.

 

[zakkleifeste]

Hey man, I went through the same exact situation and I'm here to tell you everything will work out. I'm living proof

Here's what happened for me: My best friends in school liked to drink, party, talk about sex, cuss, etc. I was cool with that until I became a Christian. When I did give my life to Jesus, I realized that I couldn't be around that type of stuff if I wanted to grow in my walk with God, so I separated myself. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Thankfully, God never stopped caring. In a random order of events my schedule got changed at school and I had to switch lunches. When I got to the new lunch period, I realized that there was NO ONE I really wanted to sit with. I ended up sitting with a few guys I knew from junior high. Little did I know, they were all very strong Christians and super involved in their church. I got to know them pretty well and ended up becoming a member of their church. Today, those guys are my best friends and all my new friends have come from that church.

As for my old friends, we all still keep in contact. They still love me the same way they did when I was bad with them. They all attended my wedding and we had a great time together. The only thing that is changed is that now I'm a Christian and they are not. They go do their worldly stuff without me and I hang out with my new best friends.

In conclusion, I think there are times when Jesus needs you to prune things out of your life. It may not feel or look good at first, but next season when everything grows back, it will bloom greater than it was before.

Hope that helps you brother!

 

[Pittsburgh Christian]

Thanks for all the help guys.

1.) Do you have friends that are Christian?
2.) Are you attending a church?
3.) Is there a christian club at your school?

1) Not too many, because my youth group is very small. Like me and 3 girls
2) Yes. Every week since I was like 2. Great Great Great! Church family! Friendlies most loving church family ever
3) I think so, but I'm not sure when they meet.

 

[madetoworship]

Thanks for all the help guys.

1.) Do you have friends that are Christian?
2.) Are you attending a church?
3.) Is there a christian club at your school?

1) Not too many, because my youth group is very small. Like me and 3 girls
2) Yes. Every week since I was like 2. Great Great Great! Church family! Friendlies most loving church family ever
3) I think so, but I'm not sure when they meet.

It would be great if you guys spent more time together, even if it's a bit small. Fellowship is very important. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be there to support one another. The only way to do that is to be inside of each others' lives.

You should check out the christian club at school! Ask around. Maybe you can meet more Christians.

 

[katyn]

personally i believe that you have to 100 percent make up your mind and heart to serve Christ because He deserves it and then no matter where you are, who you are with, your heart will remain attached to the Lord. then you can hang out and have fun, no doubt, but without partaking in the sin, or at least as little as possible as long as you are aware at the time you are being a bit wordly that God is with you and watching so you need to feel at ease with that...