"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV
While we are all associated with the Body of Christ in Second Baptist Church, we are not all of the same maturity in Christ. We need to be discerning of the company we keep with church folks and associates at home and abroad:
Happy moments, Praise God
Difficult moments, Seek God
Quiet moments, Worship God
Painful moments, Trust God
Every moment, Thank God
Be wise with the company you keep. Amen.
While we are all associated with the Body of Christ in Second Baptist Church, we are not all of the same maturity in Christ. We need to be discerning of the company we keep with church folks and associates at home and abroad:
- It is better to be alone than in the wrong company. The person who cannot be alone is a person who is not at peace with his/her self.
- Show me who your best friends are, and I will show you who you are.
- If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl amidst only the trees of the forest. But if you stretch your wings with eagles in God’s Word, you will soar above the trees to appreciate the greatness of the forest with God’s wind beneath your wings.
- A mirror reflects the image of your face, but what you are really like is shown in the faces of the friends you keep. The simple fact of life is that you become like those you associate with for the good or the bad.
- Righteous people seek to do the right thing. Unrighteous people have little remorse about doing wrong. They are gratified to get away with wrong. They are fretful about getting caught or they are dejected about suffering loss from wrongdoing.
- With some people, you can spend many hours and feel drained; with others, you can spend precious minutes and be set free.
- What you tolerate, you authorize; people, who waste their time, will waste your time as well. The less you associate with idle people, the more your life will excel.
- Don't follow anyone who keeps doing the same thing all the time. Purpose driven people do not like stagnation in their lives or in the lives of others.
- As you grow in Christ, be prepared for your associates to change. The Lord will show whether a person is in your life for a reason, season or a lifetime. Some of your friends will want you to stay where they are. They may try to make what’s missing in their life your responsibility more than God’s. It is your responsibility to refuse false guilt.
- Friends that don't help you climb will cause you to crawl. They will encourage your vision or destroy your dream. They will celebrate your advancement or be envious that you left them behind.
- Consider this: Be careful about receiving criticism from a person who complains a lot and has little to show for their life. Do not discuss your problems with someone who cannot solve their own.
- Those who never succeed themselves are usually very quick to tell you how.
- Be careful who you listen to; some people have motives that will shock you.
- Be stronger as a positive person than other people are negative.
- As you seek guidance from the Lord, always be patient to hear His voice more than being desperate to receive results. Otherwise, the enemy will arrive first and confuse you with a counterfeit answer to your prayer.
- Be blessed of God first in your belief and then you will be blessed in action. The Just shall live by faith before sight.
- Prove to only yourself that your best relationship will always be with the Lord:
Happy moments, Praise God
Difficult moments, Seek God
Quiet moments, Worship God
Painful moments, Trust God
Every moment, Thank God
Be wise with the company you keep. Amen.