Believe it or not, who you have in your circle of friends and influence matter. It matters who you hang around with. Who you do things with. Places you go. People you visit. It all matters.
1 Corinthians 15:33 New International Version
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
How many times have you been around someone who is negative all the time? All they do is complain and grumble. Never happy with anything. Next thing you know, if you spend enough time with them, you start sounding the same way. All of a sudden you find yourself complaining about things that never used to bother you. You start grumbling about this thing and that thing.
People look at you and notice that you are not much different than the world. They will say to themselves "If this how Christians act, they are no different than me." A friend of mine would always tell me that you need to separate yourself from 'stinking thinking'. People who's thoughts are just down right negative. They will pull you down with them, if you let them.
You need to surround yourself with people who will lift you and others up. Who's positive energy is addictive! They encourage instead of discourage. They cheer instead of boo. They want everyone to succeed and not fail. See the best in people, not look for or expect the worse.
Look at the book of Job in the Bible. His three friends did very little to help him, encourage him or soothe him. The kept blaming him for everything that was happening to him, even though most of it was false.
On the other hand in the book of Mark, a paralyzed man was healed because of his friends. They carried him on a mat to see Jesus. The house they went to was so full, that they had to go to the roof, dig a hole and lower the man down in front of Jesus. (Mark 2:1-12) Because of the faith of this mans friends, he was healed. His circle mattered! Jobs friends condemned, this mans friends helped. We could all use friends like this. Fight for their friend to get him to what he needs. What a difference between Jobs friends and this paralyzed mans friends.
So I encourage you today to take a look at who you have in your circle of friends. A friend will be there to listen, encourage and lift up.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 New Living Translation
11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
God bless friends!
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