Monday January 7, 2019
A New You without Some of the Old Them
It’s a new year. Time for new resolutions, new declarations, new decisions, new diets…and new people? It is impossible to live a life that is unaffected by other people. Their attitudes and opinions, like pollen, blow into our lives, shaping our perspective and influencing our decisions. When one godly person’s life sharpens another’s, it’s a good thing. It yields a harvest of mature fruit over time.
But I can think of several instances in my life when I allowed the negative influence of others to sway my better judgment. That’s when I know it’s time to deal with bad company. When is “bad company” truly bad? The best answer I can come up with to that question is that it’s the kind of company who has enough influence to make us step away from what we know to be the right thing to do. Being friends with someone who doesn’t believe shouldn’t fall into that category unless our own beliefs are so shallow that they’re practically non-existent. But then the responsibility is ours, not theirs, to guard our behavior and our inner beliefs. We have to be the ones to be self-aware enough to know where that line is.
Perhaps the first step is to identify the people whom Scripture warns us to beware of. Proverbs, especially, describes a number of foolish behaviors we would do well to avoid when we see them in others: gossip and division (Pro.16:28) anger and violence (Pro.16:29) lying (Pro.12:22) greed (Pro.15:27) and lack of compassion (Pro.29:7)
Paul instructed us to avoid another form of influence:
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. (1 Cor.5:11)
Paul understood that when people who called themselves Christians surrendered to sinful lifestyles, it dulled their ability to discern right and wrong (1 Tim.4:1-2). They, in turn, drew others into their folly. For Paul, some of the biggest potential enemies to spiritual growth were not those outside the church who were engaged in blatant sin, but those inside it.
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor.15:33)
And don’t think that all of your Bible learning will prevent you from drifting. The bad company will outweigh your wisdom and knowledge and understanding. Remember that God granted Solomon great wisdom but that wisdom did not keep him from turning to other gods. And why did Solomon turn to other gods? It was because of the wives he married. His wives were a source of bad company. Their company corrupted his morals and turned his heart away.
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. (1 Kin.11:4)
Moses’ cousin Korah influenced 250 Israelite men to reject the authority God had given to Moses and Aaron. Korah didn’t have to work too hard to rally support; he merely stoked the rebellious fire of the men who disagreed with God’s methods for setting up the priesthood. These men joined Korah’s rebellion and suffered the consequences of God’s judgment for doing so (Num.16:1-35). Korah’s wicked influence proved to be their doom.
The sinful nature of our hearts predisposes us all to rebellion. Like Eve in the garden, we are easily enticed to disobey God through the snakelike influence of bad company. Christian fellowship makes all the difference here. Staying in touch, staying strong with fellow Christians who can serve as iron sharpening iron, can keep us in check even if we don’t realize we’ve fallen out of it. That fellowship helps to direct our righteous paths. (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of direct)
We all need those people to help us find and maintain the path for what is right in our lives. That need, however, doesn’t absolve Christians of the responsibility to potentially be that person for a non-believer who wants to know more. The ones we might be tempted to reject because they aren’t a Christian may be the ones who need Christ the most and are ready to make that step.
So, just who are the “good company?” I’m glad you asked. We should associate with those by whom we will be influenced for the good.
I am a companion of all them that fear You, and of them who keep Your precepts. (Ps.119:63)
Walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. (Pro.2:20)
The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. (Pro.15:31)
When I focus on God’s truth, it transforms my thinking (Rom.12:2). The Word inoculates my mind against the lies and deception of sin, and I am less likely to make choices that fly in the face of God’s commands. And as I encounter Scriptures that address my temptations and struggles, my response is to submit myself to God in prayer. Through prayer, I allow my heart, mind, and will to be influenced by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bad company does indeed corrupt good character. But if we remain vigilant, if we’re honest about our own weaknesses, and if we seek out the protective, positive resources God has graciously given us, we do not have to be drawn into the destructive power of sin. A new me might very well begin with getting rid of old encumbrances. Amen!