Walk with the wise - become wise

Do you have anyone in your life that really 'believes' in you? There are all kinds of people in our lives, but those that really believe in us are a blessing way beyond what we might imagine. When we have others who believe in us, they encourage us, give us direction, help us avoid harmful things, and even learn new things. I don't know about you, but I need encouraging people in my life because life is filled with all kinds of people and things that have the primary aim of discouraging me. We all need direction from time to time because we don't always know which way to go on our own. We also don't see the stuff that can bring us harm when we are too doggone close to it, but when another is there to help us see it they can keep us from going any closer. We want a group of people in our lives that believe in us - nothing will help us grow as much as being surrounded by people we admire, respect, and trust.

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20)

A companion of fools suffers harm - that is scripture, my friends. I am not accusing any of us being fools, but I will let you in on a little secret here - we don't always surround ourselves with wise people! Sometimes we allow fools to become the ones who bring the greatest influence in our lives. To be truthful here, we 'allow' or 'deny' access to our lives, but if we are constantly surrounding ourselves with the wrong individuals (those who scripture would classify as foolish), we will soon see their influence in our lives. If nothing else, we will struggle to remain faithful to what we know is right. We have the right to 'deny' access to the fool's influence in our lives, but it is hard to deny their influence if we just keep hanging around with them all the time!

You want to have others who will actually 'walk' with you. That means they might determine the pace on occasion, but they don't determine the direction for our lives. God is the only one who should be one who determines the direction our lives will take. The close friends we have who 'walk' with us in life are those who also recognize the direction God is giving us and encourages us to stay faithful to that course. The right companions in life will help us avoid the foolishness of taking any other direction than that which God has given us. How are your companions adding up today in terms of helping you follow God's direction in life? 

Probably one of the most important parts of being surrounded by the 'right' people in our lives is that they will make an investment in what they know God is doing in and through us. They pour into our lives and in turn, they help bring forth the wonder God has prepared within us that can actually touch the lives of others. We want people who will invest in us and in turn, we will invest in them. A godly friend will not be 'stingy' in the investment they make in our lives - they will give willingly, above and beyond, without thought as to what they may 'receive' in return. Choose your friends - your companions in life - wisely. They make all the difference in how you will walk! Just sayin!