WATCH YOUR ASSOCIATION

MEMORY VERSE: He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 26, Ps 33, Eccl 9, Titus 1

There are several reasons why you - a heaven bound believer needs to watch your association or the circle of friends you keep. The type of friends you keep speaks a lot about your personality. Amos 3:3 says can two walk together except they agree? The elders have a saying ,' show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. Lazy people make friends with fellow lazy people whilst hardworking people make friends with hardworking people like them. People who smoke or use drugs always get along with fellow smokers or drug users because they speak the same language and if care is not taken they might have the same end.

One of the reasons why you need to watch your association is because bad company spoils good morals. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. It is easier for a fellow who is on the ground to pull down the fellow who is standing than the fellow who is standing to pull up a fellow who is on the ground. It is easier for an unbeliever to make a believer backslide than for a believer to make an unbeliever receive salvation. Bad company always spoils good morals. If your friends are the type that abuse their husbands very soon you will begin to do that. If your friends are the type that beat up their wives, God help your wife. If the type of friends you keep are the ones that make dirty jokes, unconsciously you will join them and before you know it you too will start making dirty jokes.

Another reason why you need to watch your association is because your association determines your future. A wise man once said, ‘show me your friends and I will show you your future’. Proverbs 13:20 says he who walks with the wise shall be wise. When you see a fellow whose circle of friends fears the Lord, you are looking at a fellow who will inherit glory. 

ACTION POINT: I saw this somewhere and I think it is very valuable . Write down the names of 7 people who influences your life or people whose counsel you listen to. Look at the 7 people carefully because you are looking at your future.

NB: The single greatest influence on your life is the people you allow to influence you – your life will never be better than the average of the people you associate with.

BY ASSOCIATION

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 20, Matt 19, Neh 9, Acts 19

Proverbs 13:20 he that walked with wise man shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Those we associate with can either move us closer to God or farther from God. They can either help our faith or the destroy our faith. Romans 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If we surround ourselves with people who have faith, our faith will definitely grow. To make a mark in life, one needs to associate with people who want to make a mark in life not time wasters or people without goals. Our association informs our perspective of life.It influences our confession, how we react to issues, even our commitment to God. Through association one can either become wise or foolish. There are two types of wisdom. There is the earthly wisdom and divine wisdom. It is the earthly wisdom that advocates sex before marriage or ensuring that the lady gets pregnant before taking her to the altar. The end of such wisdom is confusion and every evil thing, James 3:16. There is also divine wisdom. Divine wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord, Psalm 111:10. Divine wisdom is to fear God, Job 28:28. If you come across any professor or philosopher or genius who says there is no God, know for sure that such fellow is totally void of wisdom –earthly or divine. Psalm 53:1 says the fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’. Proverbs 8:13 says the fear of the Lord is to hate evil .According to Proverbs 16:6; it is by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil. Those that are in possession of this divine wisdom do not play with evangelism. Proverbs 11:30 says he who wins souls is wise. Soul winning is not a choice. It is not negotiable. Proverbs 4:7 says wisdom i.e. soul winning is the principal thing. The question is why do I need to win souls for Jesus? Proverbs 3:35 says soul winners i.e. the wise shall Inherit glory. Not only that, they shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness e.g. those who invite people to church , like the stars forever and ever. This form of wisdom brings peace, James 3:17.

I want to become wise, what can I do? I am struggling in the area of soul winning what do you advise? I know it is right to fear God but for some reason I struggle when it comes to fearing God, please what can I do? The first step is to ask God who is the giver of wisdom. James 1:5 says if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him. The second step is to change one’s association. Proverbs 27:17 says it is only Iron that can sharpen Iron. Proverbs 13:20 admonishes that anyone who wants wisdom should associate with the wise. It is possible for a wise man to become foolish. How? By associating with fools. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says be not deceived, ‘evil communications corrupt good manners’. The greatest deception in the world today is the belief that we can change people. It is the Holy Spirit that changes people not men. If you are keeping unwise friends with an intention to change them later or you are in a relationship with an unwise person hoping to change them after marriage you are only deceiving yourself. People can change and people do change but it is advisable to go into marriage with the brother or sister who God has changed not who He is in the process of changing or planning to change.

ACTION POINT: Examine your present associations and check their effect on your walk with Christ. If they are taking you away from Christ , it is a sign that those association are not the best for you.