Growing up it seemed as if I was always in some kind of trouble. Someone was always on my case, if it was not my parents it was my teachers. Even my girlfriend bemoaned some of the things that I was doing and the people I was hanging out with. “They are not a good influence on you!” I heard that more times than I can count. (Secretly I wonder how many times that statement was said about me.) But still I hung out with those nare-do-wells.
I always wondered why I was always in trouble. They were my friends. We were just hanging out, just having fun. We just seemed to gravitate towards doing stupid things; Skipping school, smoking, speeding down the back country roads. I wasn’t that bad of a kid. At least I didn’t think that I was. But I was influenced by the people that I chose to be with.
It was not until I became a Christian years later that it would become clear. The
people that we choose to surround ourselves can either build us up or knock us down. We surround ourselves with unbelievers, or those who are not serious about their faith, and they can dull our spiritual edge. “We do whatever seems right in our own eyes”. (Judg21:25)
On the other hand, when we fellowship with other believers, if we surround ourselves with other strong believers, we are built up. “As Iron sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) Our edge is honed to a keen sharp edge.
People can edify us or they can be a stumbling block. They can make us trip or pick us up. But we have to watch what kind of person that we are. We have to watch how we influence others as well; so that we do not become a stumbling block to them. There is however a problem. We have to make sure that we are not causing other to stray away from Gods path for their lives.
Do not be deceived: "Bad Company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: "Bad Company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33
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