| 1:55 MIN READ |

Who are your friends? The impact of a person’s companions can’t be overstated. So much of our lives is determined by the kind of people we surround ourselves with. Choosing friends wisely is perhaps one of the most important things you’ll ever do in life.

When you hang around with someone, you become like them. Their attitudes and thoughts influence yours. What they do, you often begin to do. This can be very good if the friend inspires you to be and do better. However, more often the result is the opposite.

If you hang around a gossiper, you’ll become one. If you spend significant amounts of time with a cynic, you’ll become cynical. If you become a close friend with an angry, resentful person, it won’t be long before you’ll start thinking, looking and acting like them.

There’s an interesting story in the Old Testament that reminds us of the power of companions. When Elisha sent one of his servants to anoint Jehu as the king of Israel, he gave his servant some specific instructions recorded in 2 Kings 9:2 (NIV) “… Look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat … Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him to an inner room.”

Before God could anoint Jehu, he had to be separated from some unsavory companions. Without the separation, there would be no new anointing.

Sometimes this is true in our lives. The people we’re hanging around with can often be a barrier to the next good thing God wants to do in our lives. Without the separation, there’s no fresh operation of God in us. Sometimes there are some folks you need to step away from to move forward in your walk with God.

I am not suggesting that you reject people meanly or coldly. People who aren’t following God need your love, care, and witness. I’m talking about the importance of choosing wisely your closest companions. Be selective. Be careful. Choose wisely. Their influence is more powerful than you might imagine.

Pastor Dale

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