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Proverbs 13:20

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

We’ve all heard it a thousand times: You are the company that you keep. And while that may seem like an oversimplification, the Word of God assures us that it is a rock solid truth. Yes, we can be led astray by the bad actors we allow into our lives, but even more importantly, if we choose our friends wisely, we can expect to have some of their better qualities rub off on us.

By way of personal testimony, I can tell you that my Christian walk really began to take off when I found myself increasingly in the presence of older, wiser followers of Christ. With each passing moment, I began to see clearly what lie ahead of me if I would commit my life to growing in the knowledge of God’s Word. These people were not just wiser, but they were also calmer, kinder, less prone to anger, more contemplative, more in control of their emotions, more loving, more joyful, and more trustworthy. The difference between where I was and where they were was pronounced…but not out of reach.

On the other hand, I’m sure we all have some companions that tend to bring out the worst in us…or tempt us to be someone we thought we had left behind…or impact our decision making in destructive ways. We might think we have the upper hand and believe it us influencing them, but we need to be sober-minded as it could be the other way around. Do your wise friends warn you about your foolish friends? You may need to listen to them more than yourself.

The friends you need above all others are God Himself, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Abraham was God’s friend for carefully obeying Him and passionately worshipping Him (Jas. 2:23). Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha for similar reasons (Jn. 11:1-5). What about you?