Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. – Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. – Proverbs 13:20 (KJV)

Theme:  Living According to God’s Word

Our friends matter. And that truth applies to both young and old. Whether we’re teenagers, young adults, “middle-aged,” or crowned with silver hair, the company we keep says a lot about who we are and where we’re going.

Like it or not, we can’t help but be influenced by the people we spend time with. The visual evidence of this reality is all around us. Look at just about any group of individuals in a social setting and you’ll see similarities:  what they wear, what they do, how they speak, how they act…even their mannerisms and the phrases they use. We see this in social media as well. Groups of people who regularly interact via Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Xbox, or similar platforms tend to adopt shared habits, beliefs, behaviors, and ways of communicating.  For good or for bad…the people we “walk with” have a tremendous influence on us.

Putting a finer point on it…if we surround ourselves with people who put God first, are loving and kind to one another, are trustworthy, are generous, work hard, and honor their families, then these positive influences become embedded in our daily lives. I think these are the types of people Solomon was talking about in Proverbs 13:20 when he encouraged us to “walk with the wise.” On the other hand, if we spend our time with people who put their own self-interests ahead of God and others, are rude to one another, have negative habits, think it’s ok to lie and be unfaithful, and put hobbies and other activities ahead of God and church, then these are the behaviors that infiltrate our hearts and minds. In that case, we’ve become “a companion of fools.”

So…which path will we take when we choose our friends?  Will we walk with the wise…or be a companion of fools?

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