Proverbs 18:24 reads, "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly."  Sometimes we ourselves say that if you wish to make friends then you have to be friendly first.  That is not far from accurate.  If we can befriend someone, then we have earned a special place in their lives.  How do we first show ourselves friendly?  A couple of steps may make that as easily done as said.
    Today it is very difficult to become close to some young people, not all but some.  We live in an age where deceit is all around.  In our schools there are increasingly more guns, more violence, more hatred.  In our homes there is increasingly more divorce, and more inward family strife.  All of this has an effect on our young people, and if we wish to become friends with them then we must first establish a relationship with them which is based upon trust.  We must let them know that we understand what they are up against, and that we are people to whom they can turn in times of trouble, and in times of triumph.
    Another way in which we can first show ourselves friendly is to show that we unconditionally love them.  This does not mean that we condone everything that they do, but it does mean that we are not expecting them to be perfect.  Teenagers are human, and like each of us, they make mistakes.  This nation in which we live has many scars.  There are many lines, racial, economical, political, and each of these lines has the potential to pull our young people away, not only from ourselves but also from the Lord's church.  How?  Because where hatred is, love is not.  How many young people are leaving the church because they feel that they are not special, or that they are unloved.  Let us not be the ones who drive them away, rather let us be counted as friends.