Who do you hang with? Who are your closest friends?
Are they positive in their words and attitude? Do they lift you up? Are they a good influence? Or do they gossip? Do they criticize others? Are they dishonest?
It is important to surround ourselves with friendships that show good character. This is healthy for us. You might be the positive one in the relationship. But most likely that negative, bad influence friend will wear off on you.
It is always good to evaluate who you are spending your time with. How do you feel after being with someone for an afternoon? If it brings you down or takes you in the wrong direction, then it is a relationship you don’t want to put the time and effort into.
While in high school, I met a friend who was not a good influence on me. I began hanging out with her and her friends. They were always getting into trouble. They would look for a fight. I was finding myself not being honest with my parents. I was doing things that I knew were wrong. I started smoking with them just to fit in. I began dating a guy that was a part of this group. I invited my new boyfriend to our family farm. I introduced him to my parents. My dad didn’t like him. He said to me later that he had beady eyes. : 0 Being sixteen at the time, I was not sure what my dad meant, but I knew it was not a compliment. I am thankful my dad sensed good or bad character. My new beady-eyed boyfriend was not someone my parents wanted me hanging with. The day I broke up with him, he punched his fist through a wall at Happy Joes Pizza. I am thinking if I had continued with these friendships, I probably would not be sitting here writing this post. I might have a black eye. I might even be wearing an orange jumpsuit. I would have gone down a road that would have brought me misery. I would have not met Dan. (No wonder my parents loved him so much) I am very thankful that I did not continue with these friendships.
Who do you hang with? Surrounding yourself with people who are good influences. Positive people are important for your well-being.
God’s Word
Proverbs 13:20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm. (NIV)
Proverbs 22:24-25 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,(or beady-eyed)
do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared. (NIV)
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