One of the more important skills we can impart to children is the wise ability to choose good friends. Few things will have greater influence on the rest of their life. The friends children choose will have significant influence on their character, their choices, and therefore the direction of their life.
Helping children to be intentional and thoughtful about their choices in friends is a skill that if gained as a child can have life-long benefits. This unit will help children understand that friendships are not only a gift from God, but something that we are to be intentional about.
Lesson 1: My Best Friend, Jesus
The best way we can encourage children in the area of positive friendships is to start by introducing them to the model friendship, as personified in Jesus, the Friend of Sinners, and the One who will be their unconditional friend. Children long for a Best Friend, and if they can discover that Friend in Jesus, they will not only be equipped to evaluate quality friendships, but will have a companion who will help them become the type of friend that will be light in the world wherever they go.
Lesson 2: Being a Good Friend
The subject of friendship can naturally be a selfish topic because all of us long for friends and can be focused on what we want in friendships and from friendships. However, godly friendships are selfless and therefore we must begin by focusing first on how we can be a good friend to others. Only then will be end up with genuinely fulfilling friendships as God designed. This lesson will help children see that in God things work backwards – we start by being good friends – that is how we end up with good friends.
Lesson 3: Choosing Good Friends
Most children, and adults for that matter, are passive in their selection of friends. Meaning, their friendships are formed simply by proximity or coincidence. The Bible is very clear that we are to be intentional and thoughtful when it comes to friendships because the company we keep has a significant impact on our character, our choices and therefore the outcome of our life. Children can be challenged and equipped to be more thoughtful in the development of their friendships.
Lesson 4: Growing Godly Friends
Friends are not simply chosen and then static – our relationships are fluid and changing, and they impact us greatly. Just as we are growing and learning and maturing, so are our friends. In this lesson children will be equipped to evaluate four types of friendships from the book of Proverbs so they can be wise in seeing how different children approach life, being discerning in their relationships even after they have chosen good friendships.