Now I am sure every person reading this has heard a parent, family member, or educator say, “don’t hang with the wrong crowd.” This isn’t said by just Christians, but is a basic concept of this world: bad company corrupts good. In this same aspect, God warns the Israelites many times throughout the old testament not to associate too closely with foreigners. What God is warning us of is forming these alliances or bonds with people that have completely different values and belief systems than we do as Christians. The foreign people around the Israelites worshipped many gods and performed immoral rituals. God knew how influential humans can be and clearly felt the need to warn his people of these foreigners. God wants you to be focused on the task at hand, His perfect and blessed plan. Take a look at who you are really friends with at school or work and see how this is impacting you spiritually. Self-reflect on how it is affecting your character.
Some of you might be asking, “but God wants us to love everyone and save the lost right?” This is very true. He wants us to shine His light and make a difference with those around us every day! He wants us to witness that Christ died for them so they can have the chains that bind them broken! We can do this without getting wrapped up and incorporated in their lives. God wants our closest relationships to be with those who hold our same values and beliefs in line with the God we worship! We should be hanging out with people that are headed in the same direction in life, people who love God and who will help us love Him more and more! Put people and friends around you who will spiritually build you up and people that you can build up also.
We should be hanging out with people that are headed in the same direction in life, people who love God and who will help us love Him more and more!
Be the light and the salt of this world, but choose very wisely by asking God who you should have the closest relationships with, because this could make or break you in your walk of life. Do you have friends who pull you down spiritually? How can you limit or reshape these friendships to change how they affect you?
God is good… all the time… all the time…
Joey
