Our Associates

One of the most influential forces in our lives is the company we keep – not passing acquaintances, but those with whom our spirit and personality become comfortable and whose presence and company we enjoy.

To a great extent, this group of communicants will dictate to us verbally and nonverbally what we do with the other four basic areas of influence in our lives. The very habits of our lives are affected and often times altered by our associates.

“He that walkers with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). A once wise, wealthy, well-known man who knew the sharp truth of the latter part of this verse gave us this warning. The following examples stress this truth:

1. Lot’s Family in Sodom – The final outcome of the influences of Sodom on Lot’s family was devastating (Genesis 13-19).
2. Samson – Delilah and Samson’s love for her led to his fall and death (Judges 13:1-6).
3. Amnon – “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab” (2 Samuel 13:1-3). Jonadab exerted a strong negative influence upon Amnon’s life.
4. Solomon – “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin” (Nehemiah 13:26). What a sad epitaph for such a great man!
5. Judas Iscariot – His betrayal of Jesus could have been averted through many means, one of which would have been cutting off his association with Jesus’ enemies (Luke 22:1-6).

We like sheep go astray. So often we tend to sin. Our nature is corrupt. We are so easily influenced. Will we join the parade of casualties to become another statistic of failure, simply because we choose the wrong company?