A Needed Break

The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Sophie didn’t know where things had gone wrong in her friendship with Emma. Whatever the reason, as the days marched from winter into spring, the occasional hard moments between the two girls became an almost daily occurrence. Sophie couldn’t understand why her best friend was suddenly glaring at her across the room, telling other kids not to play with her at recess, and talking to classmates about why she was such a terrible person.

Sophie wanted to make peace with Emma, but Emma didn’t seem to want to move on from her anger. Sophie couldn’t bear the thought of a friendship failing, especially since she didn’t know why things had gotten so bad. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to smooth things over with Emma.

Later that day, Sophie’s teacher, Mr. Johnson, pulled her aside to talk about the problem.

“It seems like you and Emma have been having a hard time lately,” Mr. Johnson said.

Sophie nodded, blinking away tears.

“Sophie, sometimes friendships can become toxic—meaning that the harder you try to make it work, the more the friendship ends up hurting you,” Mr. Johnson said. He paused, then gently continued, “I don’t think you should feel you have to stay friends with Emma out of loyalty.”

While Sophie was sad to lose her friendship, she also felt relieved. If you have ever been in a situation like hers, you can choose to step back as well. The Bible teaches us that the righteous carefully think about who they should be friends with—and even though we should forgive others for the pain they’ve caused us, that doesn’t mean we should continue to allow them to wound us going forward.

Leaving a friendship doesn’t mean you are failing—some situations are just unfixable. When a friendship is no longer healthy, deciding to walk away is the right choice to make.

Things to Think About

• Have you ever experienced (or are you currently experiencing) a toxic friendship? How did you handle the situation?
• Have you ever been the toxic element in a friendship? What habits or attitudes might need to change so you only bring kindness and joy to the friendship?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Consider whether or not any of your friends are toxic. Have a conversation with a trusted adult about any relationship that may be causing damage.