Don't Be Deceived

The saying, "God doesn't give us the people we want, He gives us the people we need.", is so true. Many of us have come to realize as we've grown older that our friend circle is relatively small. We begin to value the word "friend" and we stop using it so loosely. Fortunately life has a way of "happening" and circumstances occur for the sole purpose of showing us who is for us and who's against us. Over time, life begins to reveal to us who our true friends are. "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need." (Proverbs 17:17) Over time we learn this and it really begins to manifest as being true in our lives.

We all know this scripture, "Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33), but do we let the people who corrupt our thinking go, do we try to guide them towards Godliness? Oftentimes we'll say things like, "They do that, but I'm my own person" or "No one influences me to do anything I don't want to do". While this could be true in all it's entirety, it doesn't look true. We are supposed to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22).  For instance, if we aren't stealing and doing drugs, why would our best friends whom we share everything with be doing it? How does that look to a sinner you're witnessing to? They'd be thinking that we can't even help our own best friend find Jesus and we still remain yoked up with them, so how can we help them. These are really things to think about. I understand that Jesus hung out with the sinners (Matthew and Luke elaborates on this), but I believe he did it to show them how to live like God wants them and to call them out of darkness. So if we are hanging with our friends who are corrupt and aren't seeing any fruit, maybe we need to start evaluating the soil, planting more seeds and watering it more often.

This isn't to condemn anyone, but it's to make us conscious of who we allow to get into our spirits. I've been there. I've allowed people and things to come into my life and deter me from God's course. I thought I had control but apparently I didn't. I've learned and I'm still learning this.

Also, be careful because believe it or not, there are people who profess to be Christians, who will corrupt your character too. So let the spirit of discernment be your judge when it comes to your close associations with people. 

One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. -Proverbs 12:26