Friends to help you grow in your faith

Friends have never been my forte to say the least. I am more of a have a few really great friends kinda gal rather than have a hundred who don't really care about ya. 
You know what I'm saying???

Throughout my life I've learned that many friends come and go but there are always those few people that stick with you through thick and thin and those are the ones that help you grow in your faith and you help them grow in theirs as well. 

Being in college I've learned how important it is to find those few solid friends who share your love for Jesus. 
I recently met the sweetest soul and her love for the Lord is empowering. And we recently have become friends and I am blessed God threw her into my life when he did. 

Everyone longs to grow in their faith and become the person that God intended them to be, but often we need each other to gain it. We need those Jesus loving friends in our lives so that God can use them to tune us up so that our lives can become the beautiful song reflecting God and all His glory. 

It's important to have an accountability partner - someone who you can share things with, trust to be honest between each other, share your strengths and weaknesses, and find someone that will encourage you in good times and in hard times when you need it most.  

When I think of this type of friend this is what I look for 

• Can keep confidences 
• Knows Jesus as well or better than I 
• Has been through fire - so there is a respect 
• Shows compassion and love for others through Jesus 
• A natural friend, is raw, real, and GENUINE 
• A prayer advocate 
• Lifts me and my concerns and helps me give them to God 
• Has passion for the Lord 
• Accepts unconditionally 
• Trusts in Him 

These traits are just a few but have been something that has helped me grow in my own faith and something I try to be for others. For example, I need a friend who knows Christ at about my same level so as I struggle through life, I know they will send me Scriptures that will get my attention and help me along the path. I need a friend who has experienced trials so we can share those with each other and help each other through those times of doubt and worry. I have found if they are naturally (genuine) a friend of mine, our paths cross enough for them to see into my life so that they gain the perspective to speak truth into my heart and I can do the same for them.  The two traits that are really important to me are their ability to keep a confidence and their desire to pray for me consistently. 

Life can be tiring and it's important to have trusted friends that help you grow and hold you up in hard times. It's also really important to be honest with each other in those times and sometimes bring each other back to reality. You can rejoice together, cry together, pray together, and praise Him together. 

Remember that. 

• True Friends heighten our joy to God 
  • When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. (Psalm 94:19) 
• True Friends expose sin in us that keeps us from God 
  • Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. (Proverbs 27:6)
    
• True Friends Encourage us to obey God 
  • Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24; see also Hebrews 3:13)
• True Friends bring us to God in our weakness 
  • Behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. (Luke 5:18–19)
    
• True Friends love us for the glory of God
  • Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)