The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs13:20 HCSB
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to enjoy a day spent with close friends. I have learned to truly appreciate my friends. We have no control over which family we are born into. Now let me say, I have no complaints in the family department. I had good parents and two sisters, once of which was called my second mom as we were growing up because she had a great deal of patience and spent a great deal of time with me. I am blessed with wonderful nieces and nephews.
But the difference in our friends is that we pick our friends. We are able to choose who we spend time with. When I rededicated my life to Christ, I didn’t have to lose my friends. I am happy to say that several of my friends also drew near to Christ at about the same time. Isn’t it awesome how God works these things out? But the other great thing is that I met a number of other Christian friends that I really enjoy spending time with.
The book of Proverbs, most of which were written by Solomon, speaks a great deal of what is considered to be right and what is considered to be foolish. Our scripture passage today warns us against walking with fools and encourages us to walk with the wise. Now as Christians, we are supposed to love everybody, right? That is correct, but we also must use discernment. I have always said that it is best to love some people from a distance.
I have been in relationships where I have been burned because the other person was not a Christian or the other person had past hurts that lead them to hurt other people. We must be careful in these situations, we must show them the love of Christ, but we must remember that we are not Christ. We can pray for them and we can love them, but if they become a danger to us or those around us, we need to back away.
I have also learned that “unequally yoked” doesn’t only apply to who we marry. It is not good to be unequally yoked with our friends. If you have surrendered your life to Christ and can maintain a close relationship with an atheist, you may want to step back and take a good, long look at that. You may need to love them from a distance. If you have tried to lead them to Christ and they won’t budge, then move on. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:14 that if anyone would not welcome them or listen to their words that they should shake the dust off their feet when they left that house or that town. So, yes, we are not here only to associate with Christians. We are here to spread the gospel. We can’t do that if we associate only with our Christian friends, however, we must be very careful that if someone doesn’t receive that gospel or wants to argue or convince us that God’s word is wrong, then we need to distance ourselves from that person. You can pray for someone from a good, safe distance, right? If someone is harmful in some way, we must be careful. Our former pastor told us that we are to love everyone, but there is nothing that says we have to trust in anyone but the Lord. We must exercise caution and use our God-given wisdom and discernment in today’s world. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus tells his disciples that he is sending them out as sheep among wolves and that they should be as innocent as doves, but as shrewd as serpents. Be careful and use wisdom in dealing with others.
If you are struggling and are unsure about your Christianity, then I encourage you to find some good, Christian friends that will lift you up and help you to stand steady and strong in God’s word (Hebrews 10:24-25). Be leery of any so-called friend that is trying to discourage you from things like attending church, praying, or reading your bible. And as a friend to others, encourage them. We all get down and discouraged at times, I thank God for my friends and family members that are there to strengthen me and lift me up when I fall.
My prayer for you today is that you are enjoying the fellowship of good, Christian friends. I assure you that there is no greater joy.
Have a great day!