WHO IS IN YOUR COMPANY?
SCRIPTURE: PROVERBS 13:20 (AMPL)
”He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is a fool.”
A companion is an associate, comrade and usually a long time friend. One of the things I do yearly is to audit my relationships. This is because my relationships are a major determinant of my success or failure. Making the right friends, therefore, is most crucial for all of us. This means that finding and keeping people who are ready to add value to your life is a great blessing. Choosing the people we fellowship with, therefore, is a very important choice.
Today’s verse teaches us a very basic and powerful truth. There is no substitute for quality relationships. The serious part of this statement has to do with the impact of the fellowship we keep or the associations we keep. Simply put, you make your friends and your friends make you. The people you often associate with will eventually shape who you are and what you can or cannot do. Boxers win or lose fights depending on which team is in their corner. This is the law of association. It is an important principle for your progress.
Let us deal with this directly by asking ourselves a few questions. Who are your friends? Who are your very close friends? Whom do you spend a lot of time talking to, working with, and opening up to with your personal issues, challenges and secrets? Whom do you confide in? Who counsels you in a time of crisis? Who inspires you and encourages you to desire to get better? Who is your favourite author or writer?
The answers to these questions may require you to make some hard choices either to keep some friends or to drop some. Why are these issues important? Because whilst some friends and associations are adding value to you, others are only exploiting you and always taking away from you. Some of us have friends who are spiritual, God fearing, time conscious, church conscious, work conscious, etc. However, others have friends who are liars, talkative and gossipers, unspiritual people, fornicators and people who sow discord amongst friends. Obviously, such people are not a blessing.
1 Corinthians 15:33
tells us that; ”Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (NKJV)
It was easy for Judas Iscariot to betray Christ Jesus because of the evil plotters he fellowshipped with. However, good and godly friendships will enrich you and provoke you to grow to become more Christlike and successful. Could this be a good time to audit your relationships? You will need to make sure of who is adding value to you and who is just living off you. Think of this.
PRAYERI thank you, Father, for a new year of great opportunities. I know that maximising these opportunities for success will require that I make wise choices continually. I am trusting you for grace and wisdom to choose and maintain the right friends and associates whilst I keep away from all bad associations. I am confident of victory, especially as I depend on the Holy Spirit for help in Jesus’s name, Amen.
FURTHER READING
(NKJV) Psalms 1:1-6
[1]Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
[2]But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
[3]He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
[4]The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
[5]Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
[6]For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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