“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” (Prov 13:20NKJV)
I wouldn’t like to conclude this teaching without mentioning two individuals in the scripture that dearly pay the price for walking with wrong companies.
Dinah was the only daughter born to Jacob by Leah but was raped by Shechem due to the friendship she had with the strange daughters of the land (Gen. 34). This connotes that even when you have no intention of doing wrong; walking with the doers makes you a potential candidate of such act. If you assume you are so ‘wise’ and will never partake of their evil deed, then such friends switch plan and set you up against your wishes. Mind you, your alliance gave them the chance to do so, also made you to be blame most.
Perhaps the lustful desire of Amnon concerning her half sister - Tamar would have being tamed if not for his friend - Jonadab who counsel him on how to satisfy his immoral cravings (2 Sam. 13). Although both Amnon and Tamar were David’s children, Jonadab stands out as such friends who sees nothing wrong but will help you work out any plan no matter how evil it may be. Friends like Jonadab teaches how to formulate lies, help you out with dresses when you have none to attend parties and sometimes support you financially with tokens in order to show how much they ‘care’.
But the important question still remains “how much are these “friends” ready to stand with you when the consequence comes?” Where was Jonadab when Absalom came to avenge the deed done to her sister two years later? You can’t imagine that Jonadab was the one who came to inform King David about the details of the incident and also tells him not to worry since it is only Amnon that was killed by Absalom. This shows how what seems to look like “helps and supports” from such wrong company is simply bait in disguise.
It is now easy to understand why there is always a wrong guy behind most of our first-time wrong acts; the first time of taking a beer, smoking a cigarette, jumping school classes, attending parties, looking for a girl/guy, trying a kiss, and so many others. We might even be given all sorts of nicknames like “virgin mary”, “jew guy”, “jonny just come” or “mummy’s pet”, all in a bid to incite and make us join the act. And in most cases after the joining, we become the very next victim because such was not part of us in the beginning. No wonder the bible says:
“My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.” (Prov 1:10NIV)
What a lesson for us to learn that if we walk not at the hedge of temptations, it will surely reduce the risk of falling into one.
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:13-14KJV)
The company we keep is bound to change us. Someone may be asking; “how then would I minister to unsaved?” Then I will reply such; “what did you discuss whenever you meet with them?” If the subject is not Christ, then you might soon find yourself as their subject. If the basis of your interaction is the gospel, then let nothing else be your focus than the subject of gospel. Wisdom and discretion is highly advised as we carry out the great assignment of evangelism.
In understanding the wisdom for reaching the lost, Jesus admonished:
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matt 10:16KJV)
And what wisdom has the serpent? No matter where it is found, it’s always out for business. It has no time to waste in doing what it knows best doing – striking! It knows fully well that its failure to do the stinging first will surely cost its life. Likewise Christians ought to be wise in delivering the gospel to the lost; carrying the understanding that they we like soldiers in the war front who must never loose focus or else we become the prey to the target.
It is good to know that the desirable strength of the youth is a demonstration of God’s glory and such is meant to be used rightly. There is a lot we can gain with our lives than wasting it with wrong and meaningless associations.
Let’s create the world we desire; let’s paint the future we long to see. Friendship is by choice and never by force. Vow to make the right choice always beginning from today. Your life and future greatly depend on this. See you at the topmost top
“Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."” (1 Cor 15:33NIV)
Every time you spend time communicating with wrong person, you probably open up yourself up to be misled. And note that one wrong step is enough to bring everlasting corruption to a man’s life.
“And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' "Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.” (Gen 3:2-5NKJV)
I believe Eve really wanted to do well if not for the wrong association she had with the Serpent. Remember we said words are spirit and they have a way of possessing us when we engage it. We also learnt that whenever we hang out with someone because of the ideas or emotions we share together, we are simply “buying” from such individual. But God demanded we buy only the truth since whatsoever we buy will cost us something. We are to seek for right association in order to become better person.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Prov 27:17NIV)
To get sharpened is to get better and smarter for greater productivity.
It is necessary to know that association can either be physical, mental or spiritual. As we hang out with families and friends physically, so also we can come together in a spiritual gathering. When we pray together, then we are having spiritual gathering.
Nevertheless, we associate mentally when we read books, watch television, browse the web, listen to music and do such likes. In all these cases, the communicators were not present physically; but their products affect us to a great extent.
I have seen people contact corruption via books. Many years ago, I met with a girl (supposed friend) who gave me a book to read. The book was titled “In the Light of Truth” written by a man called Abdul Rushin. The book was in three parts, but little did I know that the book belongs to a set of modern cult called Grail Messengers.I would have been totally destroyed if not for the fact that God quickly organises it in such that my conversion was just few days after collecting the book. Sincerely, the book was still under my pillow when I confessed Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of my life. I later learnt that no one read such books and escape getting converted into the cult. I would have been doomed forever had I read it. Should I admonish someone here that not all books are meant to the read since no man eat everything that comes across his ways. There are some things that look like food, but are poison in disguise. In my own case God saw it and quickly intervened!
“So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were. Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.” (2 Kings 4:39-40NKJV)
Please be careful you don’t take poison as food, it may kill without recovery. Charles Darwin, the pioneer of evolution theory was once a good Christian like you and I, but contacted wrong knowledge after reading wrong books and associating with wrong people. Now, millions are dying daily and joining him in his death.
After graduating from the elite school at Shrewsbury in 1825, young Darwin went to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. In 1827 Darwin dropped out of medical school and entered the University of Cambridge, in preparation for becoming a clergyman of the Church of England. There he met two stellar figures: Adam Sedgwick, a geologist, and John Stevens Henslow, a naturalist. Henslow not only helped build Darwin’s self-confidence but also taught his student to be a meticulous and painstaking observer of natural phenomena and collector of specimens. That was the beginning of his conversion to an anti-God!
Be careful! “Buying” always have a cost. Watch what you take inside of you, you may not have the opportunity to vomit it. Reading is like eating. Whenever you read, you are definitely rubbing minds with the writer. I don’t read whatsoever is not edifying, because it will surely take away from me rather than giving something good. Have you ever noticed that you can be addicted to a magazine or a web site? That is as good as being a junky. I rather get addicted to God.
This is one reason I loved Unified Youth. I rather hang out around here, for I consider it as a vision pursued to ensure a good foundation for a glorious generation like ours. It’s impossible for us to fail because the failing world system is awaiting our manifestations.
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Rom 8:19-20NKJV)
There can be no solution until we appear. We are the last hope of the world because of Christ that lives in us. We are being empowered as saviours of this generation. It’s our time to reign as kings and priests!
“And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.” (Obad 21KJV)
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev 5:10KJV)
It is our time! The earth has God given to us to have dominion. Although Satan stole it through Adam, but we are taking it back. We are taking it back by force!
Until next time when we shall be continuing on this same topic, remember that GREATER is HE that in you that he that is in the world. Keep reigning!
