March 7, 2016

Surround Yourself With Godly People

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. -- Colossians 2:8

A sweet friend offers this advice: If you’re wearing a white t-shirt and you keep brushing up against a dirty t-shirt, pretty soon your white t-shirt is going to be dirty too.

She tells this as a warning to those who think they can hang out with anyone they choose without the other person’s bad habits influencing them negatively. Of course it will. It’s the slippery slope downward to sin.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We all sin. All of us. But it helps when we surround ourselves with people who are trying to do right instead of surrounding ourselves with people who will entice us to do wrong.

It’s like when you go on a diet. Do you want to hang out with people who will try to convince you to eat cake and ice cream or do you want to be around people who will support and encourage you?

I have been blessed with some wonderful friends. I know the ones who will always tell me the truth. Always. Especially when it’s not what I want to hear. I trust them because their words come from love and the values that we share.

I also have people in my life that I really like. But I keep them at a distance. Why? Because they are quick to make excuses for doing the wrong thing. Cheat on your taxes? Sure, everyone does it. Take extra time off work without reporting it? Why not? They don’t know or care. Take a long look at someone who isn’t your spouse? Who does it hurt?

Do you understand the difference? Surround yourself with people you admire, people who will hold you accountable and people who expect you to hold them accountable. Don’t let yourself be deceived by the sweet talking lies of others.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Who Influences Your Faith?

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

-- Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Who is your counsel? Who are your friends? What movies and television shows do you watch? What books do you read? Where do you hang out?

We like to pretend that it doesn’t matter. We know Jesus in our hearts. We don’t really need to edit what we see or hear. We certainly don’t need to avoid certain people because some of their actions aren’t, gulp, godly.

Yet the Bible tells us that we are not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. We are being influenced by the people around us and by the media we consume. Don’t try to fool yourself. It’s the reason advertisers pay big bucks for ads during prime times, such as the Super Bowl.

That’s also where Satan attacks you. He knows all your buttons, according to Mark Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns and author of Your Own Jesus. He noted that we say we believe in God but we are standing there right in the midst of the world. We look no different. So if we aren’t different, why should anyone else believe?

Good point. As Christians, we’re supposed to stand out. We’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to light the way for a dark and lost world. We’re supposed to represent Jesus on this earth.

It’s not that we mean to blend in. It’s a slow fade (Hall’s words) away from Jesus. We make one small compromise, assuring ourselves that it won’t matter. Then we make another one and another one. It’s a slippery slope downward from there.

“We are who our friends are,” Hall writes. “What we put into our heads and hearts today will influence our choices tomorrow.”

So who is your counsel? Who do you listen to most? Are they godly people who live by His Word? Or are they worldly people who lack His foundation? What do you listen to on the radio station? Songs of praise to Him or songs of cheating hearts and love on the sly?

Our choices define our lives and our faith. We can walk with godly people and make wise choices based on His Word. Or we can allow Satan a foothold in our lives. Free will. Your choice.