Influencers

Verse: Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Devotion
I am sure that those of us with kids have talked to them about this very practical thought that you are influenced by your friends. That is why we get to know their friends and why we encourage them to join Christian groups. But do we think about this for us? Do we think that we are immune to this truth?

There are two thoughts here and both are very succinct. If we choose to walk with those that are wise, we will become wise. Who doesn’t want that!! Just being around wise people rubs off on us. I know I have experienced that many times. People that are wise make wise decisions and are wise counselors. Seek them out in times of trouble or when you are unsure. Those that have been walking with the Lord a long time have seen a lot and can help you focus on what is important.

I had lunch with my previous pastor last week and I told him of something that he told me 30 years ago that really helped me see life and marriage more clearly. Find those people that can speak truth into your life.

The second part says that, if we have friends that are not wise but are foolish, that we will suffer harm. Following foolish friends can take us places that can be unsafe. We can be harmed physically because we took risks that were not prudent. We can suffer emotionally. We can listen to foolish counsel that says that it is ok to follow our desires and we can hurt ourselves and our family. We can walk with fools that spend more money than they make and ask us to join them which can lead to financial harm. The list of potential harms is a long one.

Just like we would tell our kids, we need to tell ourselves that we need to stay close to wise friends. I am not saying that we shouldn’t associate with those who need the Lord. Just be wise in how you do that, influencing them versus letting them influence you.

Prayer
Lord, help us to see how important it is that we have good Christian friends. Lead us to those that will help us grow and keep us from those that will harm our walk with you.

Author: Brad Dunn