A Christian Perspective on College Friendships
Pick it Up:
College is often seen as the time to find your lifelong friends. We’ve all watched movies where college roommates become inseparable, or TV shows where big, co-ed friend groups stick together for life. Because of this, when you start college, making friends naturally becomes a big priority. Everyone hopes to find their best friend right away. However, if that doesn’t happen during the first year, it’s easy to start panicking. But trust me—it’s okay. I actually met some of my closest friends in my second and third years of college.
As believers, we’re meant to live in community—especially with other Christians. Scripture makes this clear. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, it says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” In other words, who we surround ourselves with truly matters. That’s why it’s so important to build friendships with people who draw us closer to Jesus. At the same time, we’re also called to connect with people who are different from us so we can reflect Christ in those relationships—but that’s a conversation for another blog post and podcast episode.
For today, let’s focus on how to find your Christian community while navigating college life.
& Preach:
Listed below are some of my best pieces of advice for finding good Christian friends while in college. College is one of the best times for you to make deep friendships, as you’re constantly surrounded by people who are in similar stages of life as you are. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!
- Jump all in at a College Christian Community
- If you want to find good Christian friends, joining a Christian community is the way to go (that’s how I found all of my closest friends)
- The key is you have to jump all in! You can’t expect to be best friends with them on the first day, so keep showing up to events and getting to know people.
- Be vulnerable
- At these events and small group settings, be vulnerable with people about your life. The easiest way to gain close friends is by being vulnerable with them. That way they feel like they can be vulnerable with you too.
- Be the friend you want to have
- If you want to make good friends, then you need to be a good friend first! Treat people the way you want to be treated.
- Look to Jesus
- Jesus is the perfect example of being a friend. Read the Bible. See the way that Jesus loved people. Be that kind of friend and spend most of your time with people who reflect Jesus. You become who you spend time with!
If you’re wanting to dive deeper into these tips and to learn more about them, check out our podcast on the topic of college friendships!
Podcast:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5YtOIMRBFFmIIVlIxzOXtn
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