St Paul’s EYC Blog

First, let me start this by saying that I am sorry I haven’t posted in awhile.  With the Youth Ministry Conference this past weekend, things just got crazy.  But no worries, I’m gonna make it up to you with two posts over the next few days, so read on…

We had a great talk last night at our teen issues discussion about friends, drugs and peer pressure.  I learned a great deal about you feel as teenagers faced with peer pressure, how drugs fell into each person’s life and how you feel like you can be yourself at youth group- no matter what.

But, let’s narrow that down.  For this post, let’s focus on the friends issue.  I have seen it so much, both in my life and with working with youth- friends can make or break you!  Everyone in attendance last night agreed that they had one friend that they could truly be themselves around, no strings attached. 1 Samuel 20:17 (“Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him; for he loved him as he loved his own life.”) shows us that Jonathan and David had that kind of friendship and, most importantly shared a desire for God’s will.  How many of you have friends that understand your desire to go to church, youth group, and to follow God’s will?  I hope that you all realize that we have a group that can be there for you, especially in this case!  Most of the group also agreed that they feel very comfortable at youth group.  That was wonderful to hear!  I want you all to remember that you can always be yourself around your peers, you can always come to me about anything, and that you have a great group of people to support you, right here at church!

So, I said friends can make you or break you, what do I mean by break you?  By that I mean that you can sometimes fall into a rut with certain friends, or even have a separation from some friends.  Acts 15:39 says “The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company…”  Has that ever happened to you?  You know- sometimes it is the hardest thing to do to lose a friend because of different problems, and sometimes it is even harder to keep that friend because you know that you care for them.  Even though you care so much for a friend, maybe their actions have hurt you and maybe your actions have hurt them.  It is important to remember the good things about your friendship and try to salvage that. 

Friends also can help you more than you know.  We talked about times when a friend’s opinion outweighs your parents’ opinons.  For example (sorry girls, but it’s a great example), you might value your friends opinion on a prom dress more than your mom’s.  You also might value a friend’s opinion on someone of the opposite sex that you are interested in because they know that person when your parents might not.  Friends are crucial in everyone’s life, but especially during your teenage years.  You need those shoulders to cry on, people to rely on and friends who love you- just as you are.

So, what are your thoughts on this?  Have you thought of people in particular as you have read this posting?  Either people that are your good friends or people that you might have parted ways with for various reasons?  Lift those people up in prayer now, thanking God for placing that person in your life and how they impact your life.  End your prayer with this… “Lord, my friendships help keep me going.  I trust these people with my deepest secrets and fears.  Help me to realize that friendship can be risky, but each person is brought into my life for a reason.  Help push me to the edge of my comfort zone to help me see people as you see them.  In your name we pray…”

Parents- what are your feelings on this?  Do you feel as though your child’s friends are good influences, or sometimes not so good?  Do you trust that your child can see the good in people, even if you can’t?  Also, think about your friends.   How crucial are they in your life, especially in times of distress?  If friends are that important to you, think about how important friends are to your teenagers.  Pray to God to help you keep an open mind when it comes to your child’s friends and that you too can see God’s will in those friends.