How many people in your life do you allow to give you advice? Who are these people, and why do you trust them specifically? Are they friends? Are they family members?
The Israelites had a tendency to allow ungodly people to dwell among them and give them advice or make suggestions. They fell victim to these suggestions and started pursuing ungodly things. But how in the world did these people end up among them in the first place? In the two references above, they were neighboring nations to Israel who worshiped their own foreign gods. The Israelites eventually began intermingling with them, listening to their suggestions, and then they slowly stopped pursuing life God’s way in order to chase after their false gods and self-invented lifestyles. They reasoned their way out of living under God’s wisdom.
It’s time to identify people in your life that are still under the rule of another kingdom. So many times believers trap themselves in friendships, thinking it’s the only way to get that person saved, but instead of that friend converting to Christ, the believer ends up adopting part of that friend’s ungodly way of life, which dilutes the believer’s life.
Maybe you befriended some unsaved people at a young age, and you have a sense of trust with them because you’ve known them for so long.
But there’s a good chance their advice will send you on wild goose chases. Before you realize it, you’re after something that God did not place before you, utilizing methods that drain all your resources long before you’re satisfied with the results. This is exactly the opposite of pursuing things God’s way. His way, while not always easy, energizes you and keeps your soul at peace.
Examine your relationships! If ungodly people you trust are influencing you more than you’re influencing them, it may be a good idea to take a step back or spend less time with them. Give it some thought and talk to God about it in your prayer time with Him today.
Pursue your purpose in Him,
Anthony B.
