"Right Company"

"That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous." Proverbs 2:20

One translation of this verse says, "Follow the steps of good men." Who are you following? Who are you patterning your life after? Who are you imitating? We have a tendency to act like the people we hang around with. You see this more evident in teenagers. They get with the "wrong" crowd and they start acting like them. If they get in gangs they start doing the things that others in the gang do. We often see it in the corporate world. If you are with those who cheat, steal, deceive and step on others to accomplish a goal, you tend to do the same thing.

The Bible tells us that “bad company corrupts good character”. (1 Cor. 15:33) So we need to be more selective in who we keep company with. Are there people in your life who are "pulling you down"? Are they "corrupting your character"? Does having a relationship with them draw you closer to Christ or pull you away?

One of the things I, and the counselors, stress to the men and women when they are ready to leave the recovery center is that they break the ties with their drinking and drug "buddies", and surround themselves with those who will encourage them, who will help support them, who will pray with them, who will really love them. We all have to do that. Does that mean that we don't care about those who aren't walking in righteousness? Never, we have to love them and help them get on the path that leads to eternal life, but we do that by staying on the "right paths" ourselves... and who you "hang around with" either helps that to happen or it doesn't.

Have a great day. Who are you hanging around with? What type of example are they?