"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." Proverbs 13:20 The courtroom was hushed as Saleem Williams testified that his friend, nineteen-year-old Monique Robinson, had handed him the gun and told him to pull the trigger. Williams had already pled guilty to his role in the September 2011 murder of a twenty-two year old man in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, named Selvin Lopez-Mauricio. Now he was testifying against Robinson, his girlfriend as part of his agreement with prosecutors. Williams claimed that he would not have been involved in the murder at all except for her influence. The people we choose to be our close friends and companions truly have a dramatic and powerful influence on our lives. Someone said, “You will be the same in five years as you are now except for the books you read and the people you meet.” Those with whom we choose to spend our time have a powerful influence on us, either for good or evil. There are no neutral parties when it comes to influence. We either spend our time with those who are wise and are better for it, or we spend our time with those who are foolish and suffer the consequences. There is an old saying that says, “A man is known by the company he keeps.” While that statement is true, it is only part of the picture. Not only does the character and nature of those with whom we fellowship say something about us, but it shapes and molds who we are as well. While we should strive to be a positive influence and role model for others, it is foolish to expect to spend all of your time with bad influences and not have it impact your life and character. Healthy people don’t make contagious people well by being around them—they just get sick themselves. Today’s Proverbs Precept: Select your friends carefully...you are making a choice not just of companions but of your very future.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:01:00 +0000
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