Christian friends

[tarreyl]

some of my friends need help in giving advise to so I help them but they are pagan. I would like to meet more christen friend but I come across more pagan has my friends then I do christens but My real good friend is a christen and I seem closer to her because we don't agree in much but we are fun to hang around with. I think that pagan need guidons to but not to push them on your religous view on them. That if they want to learn about the Lord then you can talk about god.

[kateliz]

That was me tarreyl was talking about, BTW. We disagree about a ton of theology, but I'm slowly working with her.

You know, this could be a good place to mention that when I first became friends with tarreyl she was an unbeliever who would bash me about God and being a Christian regularly. She'd laugh, ask how I could believe such things, and just make a stink about the whole thing. I responded whatever way I felt was apporpriate, she eventually backed down, and then two years after we became friends she got pricked by God. We had a class together at that time in school where we thankfully could sit next to eachother and talk all we wanted instead of doing the work. She began, seeminly out of thin air, to send this huge barrage of questions at me about God and the people in the Bible. All I had to do was answer her questions, and boom! By the end of the school year she was convinced of God, His Christ, and she had become a Christian. We both agree that I never pushed God on her, (although she'll say that I was something like a fanatic-in-her-face the year we met,) but I didn't shy away from being the Christian I was when I was with her. I know that God is the one who causes hearts to repent, and so I just did my own thing while waiting for Him to do His thing.

I haven't made any true friends since that year- eighth grade. I mean, plenty of aqauntainces or half-friends, as I would call them, but no one to really hang out with or call up on the phone. I'm not sure why, but I consitantly refused people who wanted to be my friend. Plenty of good Christians I disappointed in that way, and I was never sure why. I think it might be because since that year, which was the year I had decided to start living a more Christian life, I've viewed friendship as a service to render unto those in most need of it. I naturally seek out people with problems I feel I can help them with, and it's them I seek to serve by some type of friendship.

Recently, however, as some may have been following from my posts on the off-topic thread, I have made a new friend. Tarreyl knew him from school, and I got a bug in my butt to help him after instant messaging with him from her house. We are now friends as a result, but he's unsaved. Tarreyl and I both want to get to him about this, but we're being ultra-sensitive so far in not pushing it on him. I've decided to open up more about my relationship to God with him, which I think will go over fairly well based off the few things I've said already. He doesn't believe in anything, and he thinks it's a little odd to believe in an invisible being and talk to it, but I think I've gathered that he's not scared of the issue and would be willing to listen to whatever I said about it. While at the same time praying for him as I've been doing, I plan to slowly reveal more and more of what my relationship with God is like. Once he finds out that it's not a corny, need-a-crutch thing, maybe he'll get curious. His whole family has no views on religion, as I've so far gathered. I'd like to reach all of them, starting with him.

I've been struggling with this whole issue of having a real friendship with him because he's unsaved. From my other posts on this thread I'm sure some of you are surprised to see me tell of this new developement. I mean, it's working out just fine so far. I'm only worried that it's working out fine because I'm not being the kind of Christian I should be. I mean, exactly what is God's purpose in friendship, and how are Christians supposed to go about this whole thing? I've seen it as a chance to serve others, but as a Christian am I supposed to use it for advancing the kindgom and for my own growth? I've just finished a book in which the Christian author talks about friendship as something God intended, between Christians, to use for the growth of His kingdom. It scared me. What if I want to use friendships for entertainment purposes? What if my friends and I aren't going to soup kitchens and on evangelizing endeavors? Does that mean I'm misusing the concept of friendship? Am I being a "bad" Christian because of it? I'm just all confused about it now.

By being his friend I'd be witnessing to him. I currently have no reason to shake the dust off my sandals and walk away, but he's not seeking God eigher. Jesus spent his time with those who were seeking God. He did not go after those who had a chip on their shoulder regarding Him, and nor did He just hang around with people disinterested in God. He spent His time with those who were ready to be taught and learn.

However, the basis of our friendship offline was my trying to help him with his social anxiety disorder. It's primarily a service I'm trying to render unto him with the love of Christ, (though as of yet it's really all being done in the flesh, to my great shame.) Does that make it... acceptable? Serving him while witnessing to him in the friendship? Is that an okay friendship? If I were to give an official statement of it's okay-ness right now, I'd say it looks as if it's all under the direction and guidance of God, and that He's got plans for it He'll eventually reveal. In fact, I feel a peace about that. A peace I believe is from God. I guess I'm just worried because I haven't worked out the theology of it all!

Any advice on this would be welcomed warmly.

[tarreyl]

Katliz goes on and on about "my friend" she talkes about "my friend all the time I have to hear about "my friend" I have to tell her that I dont want to hear about "my friend" any more she goes on and on it get annoying after a while to always have to hear about "my friend"

[kateliz]

How's anyone supposed to respond to that? Huh, tarreyl?

"Oh."
"Maybe she has a reason."
"Maybe you should tell her you don't want to hear about that person so often."
"Maybe she told you that she wouldn't talk about him if you didn't want her to, and all you have to do is tell her that?"
"Maybe you participate equally in the conversation?"
"Maybe you also instigate conversations about said person?"


So you don't mind I told your story, then?