Proverbs 12:26
The people we choose as friends can
determine a lot about our future. Even if we stumble into a friendship we
should evaluate it carefully. Will this person lead me closer to Christ or
further away from Him? Is this an opportunity for me to lead them closer?
So there must be different kinds of friends.
Some friends are brothers or sisters in Christ. We are there for each other,
encouraging and challenging each other to live more fully for Christ. We
support each other in our spiritual journey and are there to catch us before we
fall. These kinds of friendship can grow deep and long without fear of them
going adrift. And we need these to keep us connected to Christ.
Other kinds of friendships are cultivated
for the purpose of being a witness to Christ. Choose these friendships based on
the prompting of the Holy Spirit. These are cultivated over time giving the
non-believer the chance to see Jesus lived out in the flesh. These
relationships are not coercive in their witness, but rather authentic
expressions of the God who loves them enough to walk beside them in their life’s
journey.
Our proverb’s lesson is simple. We must choose
our friends. We don’t just let them happen by accident. That is how non-believers
get themselves in trouble. Friendships of convenience can easily lead us
astray. We need to be purposeful in cultivating friendships, knowing why each
one is being cultivated.
I know too many people who are led by peer
group pressure. This isn’t something that only teenagers face. Many work
relationships pull and push us in directions that we would normally not move.
We allow the pressures to move us often because of our own fear of non-acceptance
or loss of income. We are not choosing the friendship, it is happening to us.
Someone else is making the choice.
The wicked just wander through life allowing
others to make these kinds of decisions for them. They have little purpose and
direction, or their purpose and direction is misguided. So their friendships
often mirror their lack of definition about the role and purpose of
friendships. Friends are people you party with! You hang out with friends.
Take time to examine your friendships. Are
you choosing, or being chosen and for what purpose?