Proverbs 13:20 – Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
THEME OF THE DAY. KEEP GOOD COMPANY. My mother always told me, “Son, watch who you associate with for you will become like the company you keep.” As wise as my mother was, I am sure this wasn’t original with her. It was a paraphrase from today’s scripture penned by the wisest man ever to live. Solomon tells us, “Spend time and befriend wise people and they rub off on you. Spend time with foolish people, and it will only lead to hurt.” A Congregationalist minister from the 19th century, Edwin Paxton Hood, extended this saying with these words, “Be careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter.”
It is so true, even in the 21st century, the books we read and the company we keep have significant life-shaping influence upon us. To the former, I would encourage all of us when it comes to the discipline of reading. God loves books. God loves reading. God gave us minds and the capacity to read. If we are quick to say, “I just don’t have time to read” or “I am not much of a reader”, remember God gave us a book to know Him. But for those who may struggle with reading, pray and ask God to help. Ask Him to develop daily discipline, small at first, to be a reader. He will. He is far more desirous for us to be readers than perhaps we are and He will delight in answering that prayer.
However, today’s nugget is not about reading. It is about the company we keep. Without question, the type of people we choose to spend time with will have spiritual impact on us either for our spiritual good or bad. And there are four types of people who will influence us.
First, Christ-centered people. As Christians, one of the most important things we do is regularly be with other believers who are delighting in the Lord, diligent in prayer and the Word, and are Christ-centered in their lives. Godly influences make for godly people. Christ-centered people influence others toward Christ-centeredness.
Next, unsaved, worldly people. Make these type of individuals close companions, and in no time, we, too, will become worldly. We will become like the company we keep and if we are Christians, this ungodly influence will quickly make us live and look to a watching world that we are not Christians.
A third type of people we may associate with are complaining, inconsistent, legalistic, and Pharisee-type of Christians. Spend even a little time with them and watch how the sins of the flesh begin to take root in your soul; bitterness, judgmental spirit, complaining. We will be become just like them and reflect an ugly religious life lacking spiritual reality. Avoid this crowd like the plague. Nothing ever good comes from this negative influence.
A final crowd we may associate with and will influence our spiritual lives is perhaps one we don’t think often of. It is the “crowd” of ourselves. It is living in largely spiritual recluse and isolation. Friends, I cannot stress this enough. The Christian life cannot be lived alone apart from other believers. And that not with just an hour or so on Sunday. We need each other. We need to be in the Word together, in prayer together, and in service together. Isolated Christians will become spiritual casualties. God designed us to live out the Christian life together and left to ourselves, we will trust ourselves, lean upon our own understanding, and violate clear commands in doing so. Don’t let the “crowd” of ourselves rob us, deceive us, of the joy of the Christian life that comes from living out God’s design; a community loving each other.
So, the books we read and the company we keep will have significant life-shaping impacts on us. How are you doing in your reading? How about the crowd you are keeping – Christ-centered people, worldly people, fleshly Christians, or oneself? Answering those questions helps us determine the kind of Christians we are and will become.
PRAYER: “Lord, help me to surround myself with Your people who are close to You.”
QUOTE: “The company we keep will either help or hinder our growth in grace.”