161. AMA: Is Cutting Off a Friendship for a Relationship with God the Right Thing To Do?

AMA: Elly says, 

“So I recently cut off a friend at school because she doesn't have a relationship with God and I feel like she's going to influence me into the things of this world which will keep me off track with God, but I just have this feeling that I went about this situation in the wrong way by cutting her off completely. 

I asked God for wisdom and guidance and asked him if that was the right thing to do, but I'm still confused if that was the right thing to do. I just have two questions for you. 

 Is cutting off a friend completely for the sake of a relationship with God the right thing to do, and if not, how should I go about this situation?”

I’m so glad you asked this question because I know other girls listening are asking the same question. 

I also know other girls are listening who are holding onto friendships or relationships they know they should let go of.

 There is such a fine balance in friendships because on one hand, we see in the Bible how in Matthew 11:19 Jesus was called a friend of sinners. Then, in verses like 1 Corinthians 15:33, it tells us not to be deceived because bad company (friendships) will corrupt good morals. 

So, are we supposed to be a friend of sinners, or are we supposed to cut off those friendships? The answer is both!

The biggest key to ask yourself is, are you influencing them for Jesus, or are they influencing you for the world? 

 Another key is this…Jesus was a friend to sinners, but they weren’t his closest friends. 

Sinners were people He would shine His light to. He would invite them to lunch every now and then. He would have conversations with them and see where He could offer them just a little glimpse of hope. 

Looking at the life of Jesus, His closest friends were His disciples. They loved God and were on the same path as Him. Jesus would help them see those areas that they struggled in and showed them how to overcome those struggles.

In the same way, the people who are closest to us need to be on the same path that we are on. 

There is a saying that you will become like your 5 closest friends. If you look at your 5 closest friends, is this how you desire to be? If not, then it might be time to walk away from those friendships, at least as a close friend.

 Now, if you find that you try to walk away from those friendships that you know are the best for you and you keep getting pulled in, this is when it’s time to walk away from them completely. 

 Now, this doesn’t mean that you are mean to them. This doesn’t mean that you ignore them, but don’t go out of your way to say hi to them. If you do engage in conversation, keep the conversation at a surface level. 

What does it look like to be friends of sinners? The goal of these friendships is to eventually lead them to Jesus.

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