WHO ARE YOU HANGING WITH?
Proverbs 13:20 NKJV
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
There has been much said about our need for connection with other people. A big factor in determining overall health is the presence of good relationships. A study of centenarians, those living to one hundred or more, showed that these people had people in their lives. But they were the right kind of people.
Our proverb for today seems quite simple, but it packs a big punch. The people we are hanging with impact our lives, for good or bad. Hang out with wise people, and you become wiser. Hang out with fools and destruction is coming your way. And as believers we can add more context to this proverb.
Having wise people in our lives can benefit us, especially if they are wise people spiritually. I once worked for a company that had a high number of brilliant people working in my area. There were high-IQ people everywhere you looked. But a high IQ does not necessarily mean wise. After being around this group of smart folks, I came to realize some important truths. These men were not going to help me have a stronger walk with the Lord. They were not able to help me develop a good marriage or raise strong children. They may have great business insight, but that was pretty limited in terms of the total scope of life. And after being around this group for a season, I came to realize that I had picked up on some of their destructive ways. So, I remained friendly but separated.
When looking for wise people, look for the fruit in their lives that godly wisdom produces. Anyone can talk a good game. But there is an adage that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Appearances can be deceptive. Some people are book-smart but spiritually foolish. These are not the people to spend much time with. Those we are around have an influence.
In 2 Peter 2:8, Peter talks about how Lot, the nephew of Abraham, was influenced by his environment. He moved away from Abraham, a very wise man, and moved to Sodom. Sodom was filled with spiritual fools, people who would not depart from evil. And Lot was affected in a bad way. His righteous soul was tormented with the conduct of the people of Sodom, and Lot was in that environment daily. Lot wound up losing his wife, sons-in-law, and a lot of his dignity. The move to Sodom was a bad move.
Although we may not be living in an environment as depraved as Sodom, we are living in a day where spiritual foolishness is abundant. The Scriptures advise us to watch and be alert. Watching who we hang out with is wisdom.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be a wise person who lifts the people around me. Help me discern if I have too much fellowship with people who are spiritually foolish. Help me to reach them, not follow them.