Godly Girlfriends

Godly girlfriends….I love the time I get to spend with them! This week I got together for dinner with a few of my like-minded gal pals and it was a joyous time because our favorite topic of conversation is our faith!

We spent hours discussing how Christ is working in our lives. We were totally transparent, talking about our victories and our defeats. As we scanned our successes and failures, we also shared “Pearls of Wisdom” with each other, gained from our own spiritual walks and similar experiences.

I have found that these types of friendships and conversations are to be cherished, because they are not the norm. God is not the center of attention at most lunch or dinner meetings and it is my experience that devout Christianity is more of a turn-off than a friend magnet.

One of my Godly girlfriends noticed that on Facebook™, very few people ever “like” a post about a subject relating to God but if it’s a photo of a vacation outing or a child, the “likes” are off the wall! Aren’t both equally interesting and important? Maybe I’m biased, but I like just about anything that glorifies God!

Sometimes I wonder if we are afraid to admit we “like” God. We are worried an outward faith might shake up our friend base and label us as “one of those.” Before my husband rededicated his life to Christ, he referred to my friends and me as “Bible beaters.” Are you worried about that label?

Just like our culture, during the Apostle Paul’s day there were many pulls from a society that contradicted Christianity so Paul believed he needed to encourage his partner in ministry, Timothy, to be bold.  In a letter to Timothy in Ephesus he said, So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

As a Christian, Timothy was a minority in Ephesus. It was a city built upon the cult and temple of Diana, sometimes referred to as Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild animals. Ephesus was the home of a pagan religion incompatible with the developing Christian faith introduced there. That’s why Paul had to exhort Timothy. Paul’s young friend was outnumbered, and it is doubtful that any of his Facebook™ posts about God would have received many “likes!”

What about you? Are you letting our culture dictate what you talk about? When you get together with friends, does God ever enter the dialogue?

Isn’t God’s grace worth talking about?