Wise Friends Make You Wise, But You Hurt Yourself By Going Around With Fools
Show Me Your Friends & I Will Show You Your Future
PROVERBS 13:20
““He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
”Proverbs 13:20 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.13.20.NKJ
Our friends and associates have a profound affect on us. If we allow, their ways will become “normal” to us and we will become more like them.
Proverbs 13:20 is a biblical proverb that emphasizes the profound influence your companions have on your character and your future.
There is an old saying, "A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel" is often applied to friendships.
We must be careful who we choose as our closest friends, who we choose to spend time and associate with.
Spend time with people you want to be like because you and your friends will surely grow to resemble each other.
Choosing to spend time with people of good judgment and integrity leads to personal growth. Wisdom is often "caught" rather than just taught; by observing and imitating the habits of wise individuals, you naturally adopt their mindset.
Be careful not to allow yourself to be contaminated by the sins of others; when you spend time with others, it is easy to allow their sinful actions become more acceptable to you until eventually you find yourself dragged in to those sins, possibly giving a foothold to the devil.
Conversely, close association with those who reject godly principles or make reckless decisions leads to trouble. This harm can be physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial.
The truth is, we believers are supposed to shine for Christ and be an influence that draws others toward repentance and righteousness.
Who we walk with can shape our chosen lifestyle.
In a biblical context, "walking" implies more than casual acquaintance. It refers to a steady, day-by-day shared journey—an intimate fellowship where values, speech, and priorities are shared.
The verse operates on the principle of "social contagion"—the idea that you eventually resemble the people you spend the most time with. As the popular saying goes, "Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future".
When most people need advice, they go to their friends first because friends accept them and usually agree with them-we crave to hear what we want to hear, so that we can rightly or wrongly justify ourselves.
Our friends are often much like us and may not necessarily have any answers we haven't already heard, therefore, they can't really help us with difficult problems. Furthermore, some are more focused on pleasing people rather than the truth, and simply tell us what we want to hear, rather than what we need to hear.
We should seek out older and wiser godly people to advice us. Those who have matured by the experiences in life, and have succeeded and are willing to say it as it is. You need to hear from those who will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, and then walk in that truth.
In the book of Proverbs, a fool is not someone lacking intelligence, but someone who rejects God’s wisdom, despises correction, and lives recklessly.
Therefore, carefully evaluate your "inner circle" of friends and mentors. Seek out those who "sharpen" you, much like "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17).
Be wise in recognising that bad company can "corrupt good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33) and sometimes we need to distance ourselves from harmful relationships to protect our own integrity.
Seeking advice from experienced and spiritually mature individuals is a practical way to "walk with the wise".
But the truth is, we need God's wisdom and strength in our lives “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
I Corinthians 1:25 NKJV
We all face trials and tribulations in our daily lives, and some of those trials are going push us to our limits. But what we need to understand, is that God allows them trials for purpose, to build us and strengthen our faith.
Anyone who regularly works out in the gym will tell you, “no pain, no gain.”
Therefore, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:2-8 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
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God bless you all.
