Counsels on Relationships

Counsel #25 — Friendship Red Flags

Picture: Counsel #25 — Friendship Red Flags CR 43.1

Dangerous friendships are relationships that negatively impact your emotional, mental, or spiritual well-being. These friendships often involve manipulation, toxicity, or a lack of respect. Identifying such relationships is crucial to protecting your personal growth and inner peace. CR 43.2

If you’re not sure whether you're involved in a dangerous friendship, pray to God about it. He will bring clarity to the situation and reveal the truth to you. If you have a friend who belittles or criticizes you under the guise of “joking,” this is not a friend to keep. Another example is a friend who encourages reckless behavior or compromises your values, pulling you away from your goals or faith. You never want to keep a friendship that damages your self-esteem or pulls you off the path God has you on. Lastly, dangerous friendships leave you feeling drained or conflicted, so if you are friends with someone who makes you feel this way, be intentional about cutting that connection. The key is to prioritize relationships that elevate your life in every way, ensuring a continual, upward progression.^[44] CR 43.3

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26 NIV CR 43.4

“It is by leading the followers of Christ to associate with the ungodly and unite in their amusements, that Satan is most successful in alluring them into sin...” Ellen White in The Faith I Live By, p. 234 CR 43.5

Reflect: Are you currently involved in any dangerous friendships? CR 43.6