How to Clean Your Friends House
One year I started the tradition of buying a dear friend a pair of shoes for her birthday and I loved them so much I bought myself the same pair. They’re so comfortable and stylish at the same time. They’re easy to throw on with a pair of jeans, a skirt, or even shorts. They just plain feel good.
The friend I buy the shoes for not only shares my love for shoes but the style of shoe we love is similar. Interestingly, each year she has loved every pair! She’s always so delighted and thankful.
A nice pair of shoes can be likened to a relationship with a good friend; fun, comfortable, and easy, making the relationship beautiful. Isn’t that how friendship should be; fun, comfortable, and easy? When friendship is not, well, it’s time to make a change! I recently had to evaluate whether I should continue in a friendship, and I sat down with pen and paper to write the pros and cons of her presence in my life.
Here’s how you’ll know when it’s time to continue to embrace her as a friend or shake her with haste! Because it’s all about her stifling your ability to grow.
1. If your friend still considers and values you after “all these years,” embrace her!
“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10
2. When your friend judges and criticizes you for growing and wanting to take your game to the next level, shake her with haste. She processes this as you leaving her behind and is insecure about your future success.
“The Godly give good advice to their friends. The wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26
3. When you find she often talks about her new car or how much money she makes on her new job, but can’t talk about Jesus, a good book, or the unrest in the world, shake her with haste!
“….they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. They become busybodies who talk nonsense…” 1 Timothy 5:13
4. Does your friend remember your birthday and genuinely wish you had a hundred more? This is celebrating you. Embrace her.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11
5. When your friend frequently talks disparagingly about a mutual friend, don’t pray she is one day exposed, just shake her with haste!
“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.”
Proverbs 16:28
6. When you can’t wait to tell your friend something wonderful that’s happening to you because you know she will be equally thrilled, embrace her. This says she is so confident she can be happy for you.
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17
When shaking off friends it won’t be easy. You have to determine whether it needs to be an immediate severing, or can you set boundaries and slowly remove yourself from her life. Whichever suits your situation, be brave and confident that you are doing the right thing! Real Talk Kim says, “Sometimes God will change your circle to change your life!” So, put on your favorite shoe and kick her to the curb. Then go boldly into your future!
