Friendship

Choosing our friends is a hard thing to do, but it is necessary. So why is who we choose to spend our time with so important? Because ultimately, our friends are who make us who we are.

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Influence. It's hard to admit sometimes, but our friends really do influence us. Have you ever noticed that you act differently around different people? It is unintentional at times, but it does happen. I don't mean that you do drugs just because your friends do drugs. I mean things that are more simple, such as you laugh at things with them, that you would not find funny with someone else or you discuss certain topics with them, you would definitely not discuss with someone else. This is because of influence. Influence can be a good thing, but it can be extremely dangerous when it is a bad influence. Sometimes, we allow people who should not be in the position to influence us, do just that.

Not only influence, but people recognize us by who we choose to hang around. This can also be dangerous. Stereotyping and judging is by no means a good thing, but it happens. If you are around people who drink and party all the time, people are going to assume you do it to, even if that's not the case. People believe what they see, and that's a fact. If they see you with people who are doing things that are wrong and feeling no guilt, they will just believe you are doing that as well. A good reputation is a hard thing to gain, but a very easy thing to lose.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

C.S. Lewis stated: “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”