“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” I Corinthians 15:33
The good news is that we get to choose the company we keep. Friendships are not forced upon us. But let’s make the distinction between friends and acquaintances.
As followers of Christ, we are called to love everyone, but that does not mean we are called to be close friends with everyone. Jesus loved and interacted with anyone and everyone, but He shared close relationships with only a select few, His inner circle of friends, the 12 disciples.
We are not called to isolate ourselves from people, but we do need to insulate ourselves from the wrong people.
Associate with everyone, but only ally with a few.
You will encounter three kinds of people in your life: Foes, Fans, and Friends. Foes think you are worse than you are, fans think you are better than you are, and friends know the truth about who you are.
Foes
Foes consider themselves your enemy. For whatever reason, they are out to take you down. Despite their opposition to us, we are still called to love our foes, but we don’t need to invest our time and energy into winning them over or developing relationships with them.
Usually, it is wise to insulate ourselves from these people to avoid becoming combative, discouraged, or hurt.
Foes are inevitable, especially to those living out their faith with enthusiasm.
Aristotle said, “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”
Fans
These are your surface-level friends or groupies. They are the people who tell you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear.
Be careful of spending too much time with your fans because it is easy to become complacent and blind to weaknesses in your character.
Fans are not all bad, however. They are the ones who will cheer you on and bring fun to the forefront.
Just be aware that, even with their good intentions, they can still lead you astray.
Friends
Friends are the chosen few people who will speak truth into your life through the good and bad seasons. Because they love you, they are committed to encouraging growth and refinement in your life. This encouragement can mean being honest with you about your weaknesses. The Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde said, “True friends stab you in the front.”
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)
Jesus is the best friend you can have, and as Pentecostal Apostolics, we are called to be like Jesus. A Christ-like friend will stick closer than a brother.
Friends are a gift from God used to help us build community and sharpen each other.
The quality of your friends determines the height of your success.
Make sure you acquire a small group of Christ-centered friends who can speak truth and encouragement into your life, and you do the same for them.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV).
Have a blessed week
Pastor (Rev. Elias Limones)
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