By Hannah Farbin
Over the past 6 years of junior high and high school, one of the main things I was able to take away was how important the people you surround yourself with are.
I have been going to church my whole life, and have always loved going to youth groups and connecting with friends from church. However at school, I didn't have very many friends who were Christians and who had the same faith as me. Because of that, throughout junior high I felt myself pulling away from God. My relationship with my faith was struggling because instead of focusing on God, I was busy trying to fit in with new friends and get attention from the boys. The new friends I had made were not necessarily bad influences, but being around them didn't encourage me to pursue God.
Having this new group of friends, my priorities shifted. I put my friends and my popularity above God. I found myself acting differently and doing things I wouldn't normally do, just to impress the people around me. I went through my first two years of junior high being the most disconnected from God I ever have been.
That was until the summer of 2017 when my dad asked if I wanted to go to a Christian summer camp in Ontario. I was very hesitant at first because I had never been to a summer camp and I wouldn't know anyone there, but there was something in me that was telling me I had to go at least try it out and see if I enjoyed myself. That ended up being one of the best decisions i‘ve ever made. Being at summer camp, I was reminded of how good God is and of how present he is in our lives, even if we don't feel him. I made so many new friends who were such amazing influences on me because they had the same views and faith that I had. That summer really shifted my perspective on my relationship with God and pushed me to pursue him more in my everyday life.
After that summer, I started the journey to rebuild my relationship with God. There were still many struggles, because the amazing friends I had made were in a different province, and the friends I had at school still weren't the best influences on me, but I worked as hard as I could to continue to pursue God. I had some setbacks, but having those friends there to talk to really helped. There would never be any judgment, and they would always encourage me to keep turning towards God, instead of away from him.
Two summers ago, when I went back to camp, there was a mixup that happened and I was put on a team with no one I knew. I was very upset because all of my friends were on a team together, and even though I requested to be put with them, I was on a different team. I had decided that I would give it one day and then ask to switch teams to be with my friends. When I went to meet my team, I started talking with two girls I didn't know, and our friendship instantly clicked. We spent the whole entire day together just talking and laughing together. It was so much fun that I decided I wanted to stay on that team so I could get closer to them.
I think back to that time and I know God played a part in putting me on that team to meet two of my lifelong friends. I am so incredibly grateful to have met them because they make me a better person, and we all push each other to continue to dig deeper in our faith. Ever since I met them, my faith in God has only gotten stronger and stronger. I have noticed a significant difference in my relationship with God because I chose to surround myself with people who not only don't hold me back, but support me in my journey as a Christian.
People used to always tell me that having friends who were Christians was important, but I honestly never took it seriously and thought I would be fine with the friends I had. Looking back now, I can confidently say that I was VERY wrong. When you surround yourself with people who don't believe in God or don't pursue him, it is very easy to fall into the same mindset as them, even if you don't know it's happening.
Proverbs 18:24 reads “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
This verse reminds me that it is so important to remember that even if you don’t have reliable Christian friends, God is always there to be not only our Father and supporter, but also our friend. He will provide for us if we put our faith in him.
Finally, I think it’s also important to remember that we need to not only look for friends who will help us to pursue that faith, but that we also need to be that friend to others. If we are determined to stay strong in our faith and to be reliable friends to others, we can not only strengthen our faith with God, but help others to do the same!
It is rare to find such amazing God friends who will stick by you in your tough times and help to bring you back to yourself. But I was lucky enough to find some, so I know that it’s possible for everyone else to find the friends who will lift them up instead of drag them down…. it just might take a little time and a lot of faith!
Hey, I’m Hannah! I’m 17 and going into my first year of Neuroscience at the U of A! I love singing reading, and spending time with friends and family. I have been so grateful to have to opportunity of being on the worship team at Hope City Church, which I have been attending for 3 years!