Believers living in today’s unbelieving environment face a constant battle to be in the world without becoming a part of it. This is even more challenging for Christian singles forming successful friendships. Most people use an arbitrary standard in choosing their friends; however, those worldly standards can fail and lead to a toxic relationship. Our best line of defense against this is to go on the offense, and plead the blood of Jesus over all our relationships.
God is a relational God, and He formed us to be in relationship with each other. When God first created Adam and Eve, they had the perfect relationship with each other and with Him. When sin entered the garden of Eden, all that was spoiled; it took Jesus’ shedding His blood to make things right again. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NKJV). “Fellowship” suggests a community of like-minded people spending quality time together, which is what Jesus died for us to experience.
A characteristic of close friendships is emotional intimacy. We keenly feel a lack of this closeness when we have a falling out with a friend and become estranged. One of the curses the enemy wants to put on us is the isolation and painful emotional distance we feel from a broken relationship. Thankfully, Jesus’ blood erased this. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13, NKJV).
Christian friendships are nothing like worldly friendships; they’re much stronger, more resilient, and built on the principles that Jesus Christ established. When we look at these types of biblical relationships, we see the characteristics of selflessness and Christian love. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12, 13). Jesus powerfully modeled this when He shed His blood for us.
Compared to what we see in the world, the kind of relationships God wants for us are those that foster emotional health and wellbeing. They involve putting the other person’s interests before our own, and providing godly advice when they need direction in life. True friends never idly stand by and watch the other person make a mistake that could hurt them. “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10). Godly friends are willing to speak out in love when prompted by the Holy Spirit, even when they know that what they say won’t be popular or well-received.
Happy relationships are a key component of an abundant life, and friends who have our best interest at heart are gifts from God. Surrounding ourselves with godly people who lovingly caution us when we’re about to make a bad decision or wrong choice keeps us from walking into trouble. “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (Proverbs 27:9, NLT). We can be thankful that Jesus’ blood made this possible for us. Pleading His blood over every situation that surfaces in our friendships gives us supernatural leverage in this area.