CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS CAREFULLY
By Bishop Mike Okonkwo
Sunday 10th July 2022
“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shall not go. Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” Proverbs 22:24-25 (KJV)
In my years of living and in my many years in ministry, I have seen people whom God had great plans, great ideas and great future for. They started off well but when they began to listen to wrong things and pay attention to negative words, they digressed, got distracted and suddenly, they ended up in the ditch. That is not God’s plan for you.
In today’s passage, the wise man is advising you to choose your friends carefully. Choose those who can influence you positively. Choose your relationships wisely. Let me ask you a question: the person you are listening to; is he taking you up or bringing you down? What type of messages do you hear? Negative messages will never lift your spirit. Negative messages will never edify, strengthen nor motivate you to go for what God has ordained for your life.
The book of 1Corinthians 5:6 says; “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” (KJV). When you say that someone is just your friend, please understand that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump. Friendship is by choice, it is not by force. If you know where you are going and somebody is not going to take you there, why hang around the person?
In the book of 1 Corinthians 15:33, the scripture declares: “Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners.”. I don’t know what can be clearer than that. Be not deceived, be not distracted and be not confused, evil communications corrupt good manners. You may have good manners but who are you hanging around? Why is it so important that you guard the things that influence your life; the things you hear; the environment you operate in; the type of friends you keep; the teachings and preaching you receive? This is because the influence in your life will produce your thought pattern.
Further Reading: Prov 4:20-27; Prov 13:20-25
Daily Bible Reading: Morning – Job 41-42, Evening – Acts 16:22-40