Best Buddy
August 24, 2015 | Calvin Bryant
Who would your student pick if they had to choose one same-gender person as their absolute, without-a-doubt, can-always-turn-to-you, best friend? Does your student know who they would pick? Would you want your child to pick this person?
A recent study done among kids ages 11-19 showed that students within these ages benefit the most from finding ONE best friend rather than a large group of friends. I think back to my days in middle school, and I remember trying to cast out my nets among many different types of friend groups, only to come back each time to my best friend. Thankfully, my parents encouraged close relationships with friends inside the church rather than those outside. Of course we want to reach out to our non-christian friends too, but my parents consistently gave me opportunities to pursue deep and godly friendships.
I can still have conversations with one of my best friends and I can talk to him about anything. He's not afraid to tell me when I'm in the wrong, and I trust his opinion because we've done things like go on trips together, play ping-pong, watch movies, and talk about girls. Hopefully, your student has a friend like that and let's continue encouraging those types of relationships! I'm sure glad my parents did!
Discussion questions with MS students – Who's your best friend? Why is this person your best friend? Would you trust them? What do they think about Jesus? Does this person genuinely care about you? Why do you think so? Would you want to become like this person?