My mother always said, “Show me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are.”

Friends, whether we believe it or not, are a reflection of ourselves. They represent the wildest side of us to the quietest. They influence our decisions. They influence the clubs we join, outfits, hairstyles, and even sometimes, where we live. I can't tell you how many times I've watched the HGTV channel and heard homebuyers purchase homes in a specific neighborhood to be near their friends.

Friends are important.

So who are your friends? Who do you call friend? Because that connection between the friends you have will make a profound impact on your life.

The connections we have with our friends are important. Friendships run deeper than any well. A friend finishes a line or knows what you're thinking with just one look. Sometimes that one look is a 5-minute conversation. Friends are vital because they become your support group. They become your cheerleaders. They become your confidants when you hide your secrets from your parents. Friends are the ones that will push you and lend a hand when you're down. If you don't choose wisely, the connection you build can either be sweet like honey, or deadly.

For there are three things a friend can do to you: a friend can either bring you up, bring you down, or keep you stagnant. And sometimes being stagnant is the very key to keeping you down.

“There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24b, King James Version)

The scripture tells us that a good friend is faithful and reliable. They will be there even when your sibling deserts you. By ourselves, we cannot discern such a friend without the Holy Spirit guiding us. As Christians, we need to look to God and ask Him for guidance when choosing our friends.

David and Jonathan's friendship: the Bible says that Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Jonathan was willing to risk the love of his own father, King Saul, to protect David. Jonathan spoke highly of David in front of King Saul. He protected David from his father, who sought to murder him. Jonathan stood by David as if he were the flesh of David's flesh, and because of that, David honored him. Jonathan was reliable, faithful, loyal and his intentions were pure.

That's a friend.

Even Jesus calls us His friends in John 15:13-15. The connection between God and man has been there from the beginning of time when God said, “let there be light.” (Genesis 1:2, KJV) We were created in His image, and he considers us His friend. So if we're God's friend, then the friendship connections we make must align with God, our best friend.

A friend loves at all times. (Proverbs 17:17, KJV)
A friend corrects out of love and concern. (Proverbs 27:6, KJV)
A friend builds you up in love, prayer, support, concern, correction, etc. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, KJV)
A friend is someone who wants to excel and see you excel. Friends learn from each other. (Proverbs 27:17, KJV)
A friend never leaves a friend behind. When you are down, the other picks you up. When they are down, you pick them up. If you both are down, then together, you keep each other warm. You figure out a way together because two is better than one. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, KJV)
There is no greater love than when a friend lays down his life for another. (John 15:13, KJV)
Good friends exemplify the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. (Galatians 5: 22-23, KJV)

Friends are essential, but as the Bible says, there is a time and season for everything. Let's check our friendship connection. Are there some friendships that have become stale and stagnant? Is it adding more weight than joy to your life? Are you consulting God about your friends?

Let's ask the Lord to provide good friends and unplug the bad friendship connections.

Check Your Connection