[On Hiatus] [In the meantime, check out my blog Eternally Planted for Christian encouragement and resources for teens and young adults! The link is in my bio!]
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To the Christian girl who is struggling in college...you are n...
Firstly, FRIENDSHIPS TAKE TIME TO FORM. This is something I heard repeatedly throughout my freshman year of college, but more often than not, I refused to believe it. We all want friendships to happen with just the snap of a finger, but in reality that is not how it works. So when it comes to making friends at college, here are some of my tips:
• Pray! Tell God what you are looking for in a friend and ask Him to help you trust Him during the process.
• Be Patient. Again, friendships take time.
• Be Intentional. Do this in seeking out time to form friendships.
• Look for godly people. The best way to do this is to join a Christian group/ministry.
• Do not fear the awkward! We are all awkward sometimes, so no one is judging!
Here's what God says about friendships in the Bible:
• "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17 ESV)
• "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)
• "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT)
• "A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends." (Proverbs 16:28 NLT)
• "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
There are many more Bible verses about friendship, these are just some of the more well-known ones. If you are looking for more, I highly suggest digging into Proverbs, the book of wisdom.
Ultimately just be patient and intentional when you are trying to form new friendships. There is one last tidbit I want to leave with you and this is something that I am just learning right now as I am starting my second year of college: you may not always realize who sees you as a good friend. So do not let the enemy tell you that you are unloved and unwanted because that is a LIE! Coming back onto campus this year, I have run into so many different people that I connected with in some way last year who have been excited to see me and want to get reconnected this semester. Honestly, this has made me feel so happy! I spent so much time during my freshman year worried about whether people liked me or not, whether I was annoying them, or if they even wanted to be my friend. As it turns out, it was foolish of me to worry about these thoughts! Many of the people I worried about, actually turned out to be the people who were so excited to see me this year! I know that I still have a lot to learn about building friendships, but I still wanted to share with you things that I have learned already.
Just remember: have patience, be intentional, and do not let fear and loneliness drag you down because YOU ARE LOVED AND WANTED not only by your friends and family here on Earth, but YOU ARE LOVED AND WANTED by the one true GOD, our heavenly Father!! Can I get an AMEN??
Leave a comment with your friendship advice or let me know a cool friendship story that you have formed or even tell me what you look for when you are friend searching!
And then continue onto the next chapter to read about dating and singleness!! (Sneak peak for next week...or sooner!)
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