Friends

Proverbs 12:26

"The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray."

God's Word is straight-forward in its choice of words that warns us about friendships. Most of us can name best friends - but are our best friends really the "best" friends for us? Do they build us up and encourage us in the Lord? Do they pray for us and encourage us daily? Do they represent God in their lives, their speech and their reputations? If Christ returned tomorrow and we were with our friends, would we be pleased to see our Savior's face?

Or, have we allowed friends to slip carelessly into our lives? People who daily, are pulling us away from God and His teachings? People who are bad influences, preach a theology that contradicts the Bible, and who possess habits and conduct that taint our own lives with their evil ways? Proverbs 12:26 instructs us to choose friends CAREFULLY. We must be cautious not to allow acquaintances who have bad habits, bad intentions, and bad reputations to enter into our lives and be granted the title "friend".

We are judged by those with whom we keep company. Others will form opinions of us based on our friendships. Yes, as believers who are strong in faith, we must be willing to go among the lost sinners in the world to proclaim the Gospel. However, those with whom we are spending the most time cannot, must not be enemies of the Lord and crowned as our friends. Satan will slyly use such "friendships" to destroy lives and reputations.

May we each perform a friendship inventory today and ask ourselves if each friendship that we are investing time and energy into is a friendship that will please our Heavenly Father. If it is not, it is time to gracefully separate ourselves from these situations and "choose new friends wisely". And as we step into a search for new God-fearing friends, who will build us up in the Lord, may we never, ever, forget to pray for those lost souls in need of a Savior.

As the lyrics of the Michael W. Smith's song Friends reminds us: "And friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them", let us thank God for those forever friends who belong to Him and share their lives with us. Thanks, friends!