You don’t have perfect knowledge, like God, of course. However, you can still tell rather well who will be a good role model for your siblings.
Your team should have several tiers. There is lots of room for friends like Job’s. They might not give the best advice. But, they have the right kind of fun with you when you need a break. You might play a game, or shop, or just hang out and enjoy life. Hey, adults need those releases sometimes, so you will, too. My great-grandmother lived to be 95. She said that the key was at least one good belly laugh a day. And, sometimes we need to laugh at ourselves. One of the biggest problems with some is that they take life too seriously. Yes, there are serious moments. But, you need friends who will remind you to have fun, and not see every little thing as a tragedy.
Who knows, maybe that’s what Job’s friends were best at. They just froze when it came to explaining real tragedies, like Job faced.
The second tier is those you can rely on for advice. This is where I noted before that the Bible gives perfect guidelines. But, it doesn’t give specifics for every situation. Older people should form a large part of your team, especially in this area. But, there are younger people who seem to really give good counsel, too.
The Bible doesn’t tell us who the Shunammite woman turned to for advice. However, we see many good and bad examples in the Bible. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, for instance, chose to follow his own friends, rather than Solomon’s, when he became king. His friends said to make things a lot tougher on the people, and be a mean tyrant. His father’s friends said to be merciful and tender. (I Kings 12:7-16)
The great thing is that those who are like Job’s friends – and even those who at first think of turning away – can grow. You can lead friends to Christ and disciple them just like you would your younger siblings, cousins, or whatever.
In fact, most people come to trust Christ as their Savior because someone showed them who Christ was through their words and deeds. With small children, that usually means someone older; though I have heard of children as young as seven leading friends to Christ. However, you are at the age where you can have a great impact in making your own disciples. Not just among those in your household, but among your friends.
