There is a wise saying out there that says, “you can pick your friends, your can pick your nose, but you shouldn’t pick your friends nose!”
Ok maybe it’s not that wise, but there is one great line, “you can pick your friends.”
Picking your friends is an extremely hard thing. It can be like riding a raft down a fast moving river, sometimes there are rapids and it takes a lot of focus to not sink. Sometimes there are bends and you have no idea what is around the turn, sometimes there are calm and smooth sections where you can just sit back and relax, and finally there are times where you just want to pull over and get out of the river altogether.
Along this ride, we pick up a new friend or let some go. There is definitely times that we need to recognize people need to get out of our boat.
1 Corinthians 15:33
“Bad company corrupts good character”
Why would you leave someone in your raft that is paddling in the opposite direction or worse, poking holes in the raft.
The same is with some friends we are around. They are messing with our character and turning us into someone we do not want to be.
Character is something that takes time to build, don’t let someone destroy it for you. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk to people and show them the love of God, but be wise who you are allowing into your circle of influence. Surround yourself with people that build you up.
Take Action
Think about the friends that are closest to you, do they build you up or tear you down? Do they help you with your walk with God? Are they pressuring you to do and be someone you do not want to be? Maybe you just need a break and see if they really need to be in your circle of influence.
