6 Ways to Cultivate Godly Friendships

We all need friends. We were created for community, to walk through life beside people who will cheer us on and stick with us through thick and thin. As we mature in our faith, it’s important to find friends that will be a help and not a hindrance to our spiritual growth. Proverbs 27:17 says:

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” By following these six steps, we can begin to cultivate deeper, Christ-centered friendships with other women:

Avoid gossip, crude joking, complaining, and negative attitudes. Be the kind of friend who is always ready with an encouraging, positive word.

Share your struggles with a trusted friend and set a regular time to check in with each other. Point one another toward holiness and godly decision making.  

Offer to pray for friends when they need it, and ask others to do the same for you. A quick text saying, ‘I’m praying for you!’ can brighten someone’s entire day.

Find an area of mutual interest where you can serve on a regular basis. Your friendship will be strengthened as you bless others!

Practice hospitality by inviting friends into your space and getting to know them better. It doesn’t have to be a fancy 5 course meal - push the laundry baskets aside and chat over a cup of coffee.    

Root for your friends to succeed instead of being competitive or threatened by others’ strengths. Celebrate the unique way God created each person with their own gifts and talents.

Christy Kelly lives in Fenton, MO with her husband of nearly 15 years, 3 children, a dog, a fish, and a gecko. She loves to sing and serves as a worship leader at her home church. She has worked at Elly and Grace for over a year and enjoys using her photography skills to create product photos and fun model shoots with her co-workers! One of her favorite Bible verses is Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.