Ever accepted bad advice? Maybe it was an investment strategy: “But this stock!”, and no sooner than you did, the stock dropped faster than a piano falling from a skyscraper. Maybe it was a retaliations scheme: “I wouldn’t let her/him talk to me like that …”, and the advised response made a mountain of a mole hill. Or maybe it was an enticing invitation: “Come to this party; everyone will be there!”, and while at the party, you did some things you quickly regretted. Truly, bad company, and their suggestions, can ruin the best people.
According to Psalm 1, one way to be happy is to avoid bad company, and more specifically, ungodly people. Why should you avoid ungodly people? Relationships are like tug-o-war, and normally, the stronger, or more populated, group wins. Therefore, if the majority of your friends are foolish, then it’s only a matter of time before you join them. So, you should avoid ungodly people because their habits can rub off on you. More importantly, their future is dim: “… the path of the wicked leads to destruction” (Psalm 1:6, New Living Translation).
Yes, we’re commanded to love everyone, but if you want happiness, you can’t fellowship with any- and everybody. One of my best friends sent an email that shows the dangers of bad company, and I think it’s a fitting conclusion for this Recharge. Enjoy.
EXCERPT FROM EMAIL:
Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But if you fly with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.
A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate (whether good or bad). The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, New Living Translation).