Proverbs 13:13-25
The company we keep is important. How much do you think about who you hang out with? Proverbs 13:20 tells us "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." So this is pretty clear that we should give thought to who we select as friends and companions. When you think about it, this verse makes a lot of sense. The people we hang out with the most are going to have the most influence on us.
So how do we balance living out Proverbs 13: 20 but also getting out and spending time in the world (with sinners) to share Christ? How can we accomplish both and what might that look like? Tami W.
I agree, Tammi. We need to balance both. I think God can give us insight into ourselves, that we may know when a relationship is helpful and when it is causing harm to ourselves and our christian witness. We're not going to be able to share Christ with our actions AND words, if we're not able to have integrity. Personally, I would err on the side of caution - holiness is my priority. Walking regularly with the wise can help us to be better equipped when we keep company with the so-called "fools".
Hi - I was interested in hearing what others said on this topic and no one responded, so I suppose it's my turn! I consider myself to be in the toddler stage of my Christian life so I'm not always confident that I'm on the right track.
Since we're all sinners and Jesus spent time with thieves and tax collectors, I think we need to be careful about separating ourselves from those we perceive as being "fools." My guess is that many of us have many opportunities to spend time with non-believers (whether we like it or not) but that we don't have as many opportunities to spend time with wise Christians. For myself, this means repeating the mantra "don't judge" while with "fools" and looking for any opening where I can express God's Truth, and actively seeking out wise companions. It's the last part I haven't been doing and this is a good reminder to look at what my church has to offer for small groups and volunteer opportunities.
~Jen