PSALM 119:63 – I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.
THEME OF THE DAY. KEEP GOOD COMPANY. You and I probably heard this “proverb” growing up. I did. Or maybe we used it ourselves in raising our children or being a good friend to another. It is the saying that goes something like this, “You will become like the company you keep.” It might be worded, “Birds of a feather flock together.” King Solomon, in his wisdom book of Proverbs, also weighs in on this truth and principle – “Whoever walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20).
The company we keep will have significant impact on our lives, for good or for bad. And this principle, even warning, is extremely important when it comes to living the Christian life pleasing to the Lord. The type of Christians we befriend and give our time to will have huge influence upon us. It is without question true; the Christians we associate with will be a deciding factor in the Christian character we develop. Befriend complaining Christians and we will be likewise. Keep company with Christians who freely talk down other Christians and we will join their ungodly speech. Associate with Christians who talk more of the world and themselves than of Christ and His Word, and so shall we. Have close Christian friends who don’t pray and study the Word with other Christians and neither will we. Hang out with believers who think little of church, inconsistently attend, never serve, and their attitudes and actions will adversely impact us. Converse with Christians who have critical attitudes and watch how we become like them. It is true. We become like the company we keep.
So, what should we do? Two things found in today’s scripture. First, make friends and be frequently with those Christians who fear the Lord. Those Christians who live with affectionate reverence for God walk close with Him. And this means they will be a delight to fellowship with. Their lives, their Fruit of the Spirit lives, will encourage us, motivate us, and draw us closer to the Lord Himself. The prophet Malachi tells us the Lord delights in such people and will hear their prayers, drawing near to them in genuine fellowship – “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name” (Malachi 3:16). That alone is a great reason to keep company with those who fear the Lord, healthy Christians. God will meet with us as we meet.
A second thing to do in choosing the right Christian company is to be near those who “keep your precepts.” Obedience to the Lord is infectious. Stay close to obedient Christians and we will become more obedient Christians. As we observe these Christians who are striving for holiness, committed to the Gospel, and diligently seeking to love people as Christ commands, and then invest in life-on-life relationships with them, these godly attitudes and actions will increase in our lives. It really is true – we will become like the company we keep. May the Lord help us to choose wisely and befriend those Christians who walk in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to the Lord they fear.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to keep the right kind of company that draws me nearer to You.”
QUOTE: “The Christian company we keep will be a deciding factor in the Christian character we develop.”