Worship and Godly Girlfriends: The Friendship Impact
As we are mid-way through the year, I wanted to take this opportunity to check in with you as the contributing writer for this month’s blog post. Over the past months, Worshiping Warrior Blog Ministry has been tremendously blessed to have several guest bloggers for the monthly published posts. I hope you have been enjoying reading them as well as the Facebook LIVE interviews with those author each month.
So far, we have discussed how worship impacts parenting (single parenting in particular), living as a single person, self-care, and entrepreneurship. As I continue with this year’s theme in mind, “Everything is Worship,” this month’s blog post focuses on how worship helps women to be godly girlfriends and impacts our friendships with other women.
To be quite honest, I am concerned that there seems to be a lack of endearing among Christian women for each other. Friendship is a relationship category that needs attention and intentionality just like any other. What is even more troubling is the misconception that somehow it’s okay if we are “off” or deficient in our relationships with others, as long as we have a good personal relationship with God. I would submit to you that one cannot be in proper alignment with God and have unhealthy relationships with other people. There are too many Christians modeling dysfunctional relationships as if it is normal or acceptable, “in Jesus’ name.” I don’t believe Jesus co-signs on every decision we make, especially when we mishandle our friendships.
When we daily engage in worship privately and have truly been in the presence of God, it produces good fruit in our relationships with other people. If something is not right in our friendships, then if we are in authentic fellowship with God, we should be convicted by His spirit. Worship is not just who we are with God individually. It is not self-centered or self-absorbed. God is not pleased if we think it is okay to be right with him while wrong with our sisters.
Matthew 5:23-24 says, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” This passage of scripture is a powerful reminder that God is not interested in accepting our worship when we know we have am unreconciled offense with another person. Maintaining a spirit of excellence is an important part of our daily walk with Christ, and the way we respect our friendships honors God and is part of our worship to Him.
By God’s grace, we can bring true worship and honor to God through our friendships. The remainder of this blog will off practical tips to women on how to be a godly girlfriend. To be a part of the conversation on this topic, be sure to catch me on Facebook (Patrice Burrell Ministries) for Life Confessions Clinic and Coaching on Fridays, “The Coaching Connection.” Remember, God gets glory through us when our friendships reflect His heart.
How Can I Be a Godly Girlfriend? (Practical Tips)
1. Show yourself to be friendly and authentic.
Proverbs 18:24a: A man who has friends must himself be friendly
2. Love freely and unconditionally.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
3. Genuinely pray God’s blessings upon your friend.
Ephesians 6:18: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-
4. Make genuine gestures to express care to your friend.
1 Thessalonians 5:11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
5. Show up when it matters most to visibly offer your support.
Proverbs 17:17a: A friend loves at all times
6. Initiate opportunities to engage with your friend so that the friendship is strengthened.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
7. Listen deeply and pay attention to your friend.
James 1:19: My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.
8. Encourage your friend as they pursue their dreams.
Hebrew 10:24: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works
9. Never betray a confidence.
John 15:13-15: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
10. Be honest without being hurtful in your words.
Ephesians 4:15: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
11. Practice forgiveness.
Colossians 3:12-13: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
12. When you have been the recipient of true acts of friendship, reciprocate in your actions.
Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
