February 22 -- "The Company You Keep"

 Today’s Reading: Proverbs 13

"The Company You Keep"

With whom do you spend your time? Think about this carefully because the people you choose to hang out with can have a dramatic effect on your spiritual health, your relationship with God, and your future. It has been said, “Show me a person’s company, and I will show you the person. Let me know the company he keeps, and I shall easily guess his moral character."

Choose your companions wisely. Here in Proverbs 13, we are told that “Whoever walks with the wise, becomes wise.” If you keep company with others who fear the Lord, and you spend time talking with them about spiritual things, and walk together with them in the ways of the Lord, then their good qualities will begin to “rub off on you.” Your spiritual life will improve by keeping wise company. Hang out with spiritually mature people, and you will begin to mature spiritually.

The opposite is also true, as we read in the second half of this verse, “The companion of fools will suffer harm.” The Apostle Paul confirmed this truth in 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good morals." If you spend time with those who are not walking in the fear of the Lord, but rather follow worldly and fleshly pursuits, watch out! Your spiritual life will decline by keeping foolish company. Their values and morals will begin to “rub off on you,” and you run the risk of becoming like them. The end result of being a companion of fools is you will “suffer harm.” The King James Version puts this much more bluntly – “a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” And, that is the reality - following unwise and carnal people will ultimately lead you away from God and bring eternal harm to your soul.

This doesn’t mean you should disown your unsaved friends and family. After all, how will they call on the Lord if they haven’t heard of Him? And how are they to hear if you don’t tell them? You should be intent on preaching Christ to them and influencing them for God’s kingdom. Who knows, perhaps by God’s grace you will “rub off” on them?

Just make sure that your “companions” are those who follow Christ and walk in His ways.  Their spirituality and wisdom will rub off on you.