HANGING OUT! (Part 1)

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."” (Gen 3:1-5 NIV)

The issue of association is very vital to life and most especially to youths. A man can never be better than the kinds of friends he/she keeps. There is an adage that says: “show me your friend and I will tell you the kind of person you are”. The beginning of man’s fall came via his indecent conversation with a wrong company - Satan the Serpent. Note that every relationship you keep today will either make or mar your tomorrow.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Ps 1:1-2 NIV

Have you ever considered that where you walk, stand or sit can affect your life positively or negatively forever? I consider it far better to be solitary can to be in the midst of wrong people. Whatever you keep looking at, you soon change to. This is God’s principle and you can’t do anything about it.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” ( 2 Cor 3:18KJV)

I love this scripture because it taught me a lot of wisdom. Every man carries a spirit (either positive or negative), and spirits interfere (just like gadgets with radio waves). Our spirit interferes through our spoken words (John 6:63), as we share ideas, emotions, thoughts and life principles.

For example, just as we share the same spirit in a Church fellowship, so also it is possible to share a contrary spirit in a negative fellowship. As the former takes us from glory to glory, the latter may also bring double shame.

When you keep listening to something or someone, don’t be surprise to hear that something (“spirits”) is entering or else you wouldn’t be listening in the first case. Those things entered you, because you gave them the permission to enter through your given attention.

The scripture says:

"Consider carefully what you hear," (Mark 4:24NIV)

What you hear will always come by the reason of where you are located per time. I have also noticed that those spoken words do come back to you later on when you are alone or when the speaker has left. That shows that the effect of every communication stays longer that the presence of the communicator.

“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” (Matt 13:25KJV)

You sleeping state may not necessarily mean when you close your eyes, but may also mean when you lost the consciousness of the effect evil communications may bring into your life.

I have counselled several youths who fell into wrong hands when they broke this rule. I could remember vividly the pathetic case of a beautiful young sister who gave her life to Christ not quite long from then. She kept communicating with a wrong guy and hoping nothing harmful will happen through it. But to her dismay, the communication graduated and she found herself pregnant for the boy. When the boy was informed, he refused accepting responsibility. The case became worse when on delivery day the sister has to go through caesarean operation to bring out the baby. Also due to insufficient fund to engage proper medications, the opened part refuses to heal up. The case later became complicated as pus started secreting instead of healing. Today, this young sister bears the consequence alone since her old boy friend (the suppose father of the baby) is still at large. Looking at it from the beginning, it all started from one single choice of wrong company. I once heard a wise man said: “there is no relationship that leaves you the same way. It either takes you up or brings you down”

I have since kept telling young folks that whomsoever they never wanted to have a part with, better stay off their ways. And most especially for sister, when of age or the time of choosing whom to marry; be careful of your communication. If you disapprove a proposal from a guy because of the character involved, but you still kept hanging out with such individual, take my word for it, you will soon fall in love with this wrong person. Whatsoever thing you keep looking into, will soon become attractive to you either good or bad. Whatsoever you are not interested in eating, never try to smell it. Your nose is the next door neighbour to your mouth, they can easily share interest. Please be careful!

Please remember that whenever you give attention to someone or you hang out with a person because of those ideas or emotions you share together, you are simply “buying” from such individual. And mind what you are buying, it will definitely cost you something. Wisdom admonishes us to only buy the truth and refuse to let go of it.

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” (Prov 23:23KJV)

Today, I admonish you to buy this truth and save your life and that of other from sorrow and regrets. Let protect our future because it’s great and colourful. Please let’s keep in touch with “Unified Youth” as we give our lives godly meaning. There is no distance in the spirit.

Until next time when I will be sharing the second part on this same topic, thanks and stay blessed!

- Pst. Excel (Accra, Ghana)