fri5

MAKING FRIENDS--------------------------------------------------
Get friend Back

Question:
My best friend Kelly and I go to the same church. I accepted christ at my old church before I started going to hers. She made this comitment to not listen to music other than christian on a retreat. That was our big thing in common...music. Now that she has given it up...along with our idols Gavin Rossdale and Jakob Dylan...we never talk. It is like she has given me up. Before she made her commitment my mom bought us tickets to the Wallflowers concert...and a month before the concert she tells me she isn't going! i got mad at her...but we still talked. Now it seems like we have nothing in common. Ever since she changed and became all "Godly" we haven't seen each other. I call her and she is going somewhere with her church (she goes EVERYDAY) or going out with people from her church! I miss my best friend! SHe isn't even herself anymore! SHe apologized that her church friends were there for her and she was there for them. But she isn't there for me! All she does is say she is sorry that my life is a wreck. How can I get my friend back? Godly or not?
Female, Age 14

Answers:
Maybe you could spend time with her at church and with your youth group. Or
look for things that the two of you could do together that don't involve
secular music. There are also lots of good Christian bands out there. Maybe
the two of you could find one that you like and go to one of their concerts
together. It's great that your friend has chosen to improve her walk with
the Lord, because that will make her life more happy and more fullfulling
than if she is far from God. He created us to be close to him. But she is
making a big mistake by not reaching out to you and being your friend. Jesus
hung out with lots of people that weren't at all religious (tax collectors,
prostitutes, thieves, etc.) I'm sure that you aren't anywhere near the
lifestyles of these people! She shouldn't put on this "holier than thou"
attitude just because you have different interests. Try to nicely tell her
that you feel that she is doing this to you, and you don't like it. Tell her
that you want to be her close friend again. If worse comes to worse, then
you could talk to the youth pastor privately about it if you feel that wouldbe a good thing to do in this situation. It might not be the best thing,
though. But try to bring yourself closer to God by praying, reading the
Bible, and going to church. This will benifit you, and it might cause your
friend to draw closer to you. Even if she doesn't, it will make your life a
lot better.

-- Jon