“Birds of a feather flock together.” “A man is known by the company he keeps.” “A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.” “Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you” “Be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.” In our time “community” has become the byword. Everyone is seeking to live “in community.” We have “communities” at home, in our neighborhoods, at work, at school, at play, at church – and obviously community is good. Community is just another word for circles of friendship, usually, but not limited to, homogenous groups of people mutually supportive of each other. It is certainly a Bible concept… but the Bible is clear about the effects of community: Chose a good one and you’ll have good experience… choose the wrong one and there is little chance that you will continue in well-doing. “Don’t be deceived, do not be misled; worthless, injurious, evil companionships corrupt; shrivel, ruin, destroy good and useful actions and habits!” 1Corinthians 15.33 That’s the warning of scripture and of course it’s true – but so is the reverse just as true: Don’t be deceived or misled, worthwhile, helpful, good companionships build, sustain and strengthen good and useful habits! And sometimes that’s all we need to hear to choose good, clean, healthy friendships over wild, reckless, and risky ones. That doesn’t mean that we cloister ourselves away with a few safe people… it means that we build strong foundations and alliances of like-minded people to reach out to “wilderness” people wandering around in search of safe haven, we extend our hands to people who have been wrecked in their reckless approach to life and we rebuild those who have risked everything and lost against the “house” that always wins… all of which we were before Christ! That sounds just like the Church that Jesus came to establish! The real church! The one that creates an environment of true safety for people, a net knotted together by people of good character and common goals, to take people in as they are and give them help and hope! The Bible writer in this case, Paul, was writing to warn his audience off of people who had come to distract them from their common, clear goals with empty rhetoric and lifestyles. He reiterated for them that it’s the plain and simple, original, no frills, everyday foundational version of the gospel that needed to be kept in focus – otherwise their community had believed in vain! There are so many distractions in our world – and it will increase – and it’s important for you to surround yourself with good friends, who will mutually encourage each other to simply stay on track. It’s hard to not grow weary in doing what is right all the time (weird, I know) but it’s a lot easier when you live in a community that is striving together for just that! So it’s important to ask, “How and where am I connected?” And “Am I a good friend, doing all I know to help my community stay on track?”
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 10:23:27 +0000
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