Spend Time With The Wise And You Will Become Wise
God's Wisdom Is Above All Wisdom
PROVERBS 13:20
““He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
”Proverbs 13:20 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.13.20.NKJ
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Our friends and associates have a profound affect on us. If we allow, their ways will become “normal” to us and we will become more like them.
The old saying, "A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel" is often applied to friendships. We must be careful who we choose as our closest friends, who we choose to spend time and associate with.
Spend time with people you want to be like because you and your friends will surely grow to resemble each other.
Be careful not to allow yourself to be contaminated by the sins of others; when you spend time with others, it is easy to allow their sinful actions become more acceptable to you until eventually you find yourself dragged in to those sins, possibly giving a foothold to the devil.
The truth is, we believers are supposed to shine for Christ and be an influence that draws others toward repentance and righteousness.
When most people need advice, they go to their friends first because friends accept them and usually agree with them-we crave to hear what we want to hear, so that we can justify ourselves.
Our friends are often much like us that they may not necessarily have any answers we haven't already heard, therefore, they can't really help us with difficult problems. Furthermore, some are more focused on pleasing people rather than the truth, and simply tell us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear.
So who should we seek out for advice?
We should seek out older and wiser godly people to advice us. They have experienced a lot in life, and have succeeded. But the truth is, you need to hear not just from people who have experienced life, but those who are not afraid to tell the truth as it is, that is often painful.
My brethren, the truth is, we need God's wisdom and strength in our lives “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
I Corinthians 1:25 NKJV
Before you approach anyone for advice, pray into your situation, God hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.
But if you are asking someone for God's wisdom, that person must surely be godly; your Pastor an elder at church, or a minister, but certainly someone filled with God's Holy Spirit.
We all face trials and tribulations in our daily lives, and those trials are going to at times push us to our our limits. But what we need to understand is God allows them trials to build us and strengthen our faith.
Anyone who regularly works out in the gym will tell you, “no pain, no gain.”
Therefore, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:2-8 NKJV
The wise way forward is live by the leading of the Holy Spirit. But to live partially by the Spirit and partially by the flesh will bring instability, frustration, anger, confusion, and drag one into sinful practices.
My beloved, there’s no place for double mindedness in Gods kingdom.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.“
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
