Godly Friendships Form Godly Women

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The Holy Scriptures tell us the following about friendship:

Proverbs 13:20 - He who walks with wise men becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 22:24-25 - Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be deceived. Bad company ruins good morals.

Luke 6:31- And as you wish others to do unto you, do so to them.

Ephesians 4:29-32- Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

And, in the words of C.S. Lewis:

"Friendship is unnecessary; like Philosophy or Art...it has no survival value. Rather, it is one of those things that lends value to survival."

"Is there any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christians friends by a good fire?"

"The next best thing to being wise, oneself, is to live in a circle of those who are".


Women of God should enjoy godly friendships. While many of the people with whom we come into contact will be of diverse backgrounds, physical appearances, ethnicity, culture, religions, intelligence, professionalism, etc...we must always keep in mind that there is a difference between an acquaintance and a friend. As Christians, we must choose our friends wisely.

Just as the Bible warns us that keeping corrupt company will ruin good morals, I am reminded of something my wonderful and wise husband has always taught our children with regard to choosing the company they keep. He says, "Remember that those in a group will drag you down a lot easier and a lot faster than you will ever lift them up". His sentiments echo the Scripture verse.

As wives, mothers, some of us homeschooling instructors, youth directors, and mentors, we invest a lot of time guiding, teaching, and helping the youth in our lives to choose their friends wisely.
But, do we?

Godly friendships will form godly women. We are inspired by those with whom we interact the most.
We are influenced by their ideas, behaviors, and beliefs. Consequently, surrounding ourselves by people who are less-than-godly; or, worse, outwardly sinful and unrepentant in their actions, is a danger to our souls and to our marriages and family life.

True friends have your best interests and your Salvation at heart. They will admonish you, when needed. They will comfort and support you. They will help you. They will rejoice with you and cry with you. They will walk with you on your journey in Christ.

Never will a good/true and godly friend purposely lead you astray.

Sometimes, we are attracted to certain friendships for the wrong reasons. Therefore, making certain that we are engaging in godly friendships takes a bit of self-analysis and honesty on our part.

We must ask ourselves, on a regular basis, why we have the friends we do.

It is equally important, if we are married, that our spouse approve of our friendships.

Insofar as we, ourselves, are concerned, we should strive to encourage, inspire, and support our friends so that by spending time with us, they go away feeling closer to God, stronger in their relationships, happier in their vocations, and feeling as though they are loved.

Consider the following when discerning friendships in your life:

1) Do I pray and ask God to lead me to godly friends?

2) Does my husband approve of my friends? If not, why not?

3) Are there any changes I need to make in my life where friendships are concerned?

4) Am I engaged in any friendships that lead me astray or cause me to be tempted toward ungodly behavior (such as degrading or insulting my spouse, complaining about my children or state-in-life, spending money unwisely, using profane language or patronizing establishments that are not conducive to a Christian lifestyle?)

5) Do I have any friends that break down my family life?

In my book, "I Surrender", I included a chapter on "Surrender in Friendships". In it, I speak of friendship as a "true gift from God". By allowing Him to rein over this area in our lives, we can enjoy friendships that help us to share our faith, serve others, take part in good, wholesome fun and entertainment, and ultimately, grow in holiness and godliness in our lives on earth.

Godly friendships form godly women!

Choose your friends, wisely!

Judy Dudich is owner of Homeschool Faith and Family Life, the website that uplifts, encourages, and supports families in their daily life journeys.  She and her husband Tom have been blessed with ten children and four grand-babies; so far!  

Judy has successfully taught all grades, K-12, while striving to surrender each day to Christ as she learns along-side her family. She is the author of, “I Surrender”,  the study guide for women seeking Christ in the center of their daily life journeys and available in hard copy, e-book, Kindle, and Nook at BookLocker. You can listen to Judy, LIVE, on her online radio show, "Mothers at Home"; coming to you, every other Friday, on Blog Talk Radio, to encourage you in your vocation at home! You may visit Judy's personal blog: Benmakesten, connect with her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.