Never forget that the company you keep matters. Paul writes, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV). We have all heard at one time or another, “Come on, it’ll be fun,” and given into it. That short sentence has been the key to unlocking numerous doors of trouble for most of us. Going to the “party” we know we should never go to. Taking the first drink of alcohol, holding in the first drag, flirting with a co-worker, choosing to watch pornography, getting involved in physical intimacy with someone we aren’t getting married to, and the list goes on. For real, most of us don’t wake up one morning and decide to be completely self-destructive. But you would think it was so by looking at the burning train wrecks lying around our circle of influence, right? Most of the time we have an abundance of help in lighting our lives on fire, but most people seldom stick around to help put out the fire. Unless they brought marshmallows, or course. Solomon wrote to his son, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness…” (Proverbs 2:10–13). We are all either children of the darkness or children of the light, and those with whom we keep company influence us greatly. One example could be if we are around negative folks, their ways will start to diminish the brightness of our joy as it becomes tarnished by their bitterness and hatred. When we need wisdom to know when we are keeping bad company, we can simply ask God for it. James wrote, “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.” (James 1:5). When we are desperate for knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, we start to follow God faithfully with a true fear of the Lord God Almighty. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7).
The Company We Keep
