The Company You Keep

I want to check in today and talk about the company that you keep. It's really important that you're mindful of who you have around you and whether or not they are pouring into you or detracting from you. So, this week I want you to focus on doing a friendship check and analyze who are truly your friends that are pushing you towards God and pushing you towards purpose - and the ones that are pulling you away from God and not pushing you towards purpose. So, there are some scriptures that I want to read to you about the importance of friendship and why it matters. 

Because you may be thinking, “Oh, well, I mean, they're just my friend. I've known them for 10 years.” 

Or, “They're my friend. I've known them for 20 years or 30 plus years. We went to high school together.” 

That's great, but you also have to remember that as you're growing in Christ and fulfilling and pursuing purpose, not everyone can always go with you. Sometimes, they're with you just for that season.

Sometimes, they're with you for a specific reason, and then, there are others that are with you for a lifetime. You have to decide who goes in which category, because you can't put somebody who is only there for a reason or a season in the lifetime category, if that's going to prevent you from being who God called you to be.

Here are some scripture-based reasons that you need a friend:

1 Thessalonians 5:11. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing. 

You want to be able to encourage someone else because in those moments where you're discouraged and down, you want someone to be there that will genuinely encourage and uplift you as well.

1 Peter 4:8-10 Above all, keep loving one another. Earnestly. Since love covers a multitude of sins, show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's various grace. 

There's a need for other people. God created us to need each other, and so you want to make sure that not only do you have friends that are good friends in your life, but that you are also being a good friend to them.

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times. And a brother is born for adversity. 

Do you have someone that even when you're going through that adversity, they are going to be right there to pray with you, to cover you in prayer? That if you're going through those moments where it's just like, “woe is me,” and you're having a hard time snapping out of it, they could be right there to be support, encourage, and uplift you. They give you that change of scenery, or they go with you on a walk or whatever is needed to get you going again and moving in the right direction. Here's a good reason why:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two people are better off than one for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help, but someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. How can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked or defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

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

Think about that. There's something that each of us knows that each of us has learned, experienced, been through, and so if I can take what I've learned and share it with you, and you take what you've learned and share it with me, then both of us are helping each other and opening our eyes to experiences and things that we haven't seen before, and maybe give us both a different perspective. 

So, it's important to stay surrounded by people who have the same values and beliefs as you. Of course, none of us are the same people, but we should have similar values and beliefs, so that way when I'm going through something and maybe I'm having a hard time seeing God in it, you could flip that perspective for me. Because you've got a different perspective as my friend, and you can say, “Well, actually, this is what I see.” It just helps you to raise the level of your perspective. You're sharpening me. I'm sharpening you. It goes both ways. 

Here's another really interesting one:

Job 42:10, When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortune, giving him twice as much as before.

The entire book of Job, Job is distraught. His spouse is telling him to curse God. He's lost his children, his wealth, his material possessions. Every single thing he owns, he's lost it. And he's sitting trying to figure out, “what did I do wrong? God, where did I go wrong?” His friends are surrounding him and telling him to just let it go and move on. All of a sudden, he decides to pray and cover his friends.

He thought, “I may be going through right now, but they need God just as much as I do.” So, Job prayed for his friends, and when he did, God restored every single thing back to him. That is powerful.

Do you have some friends that are going to pray for you like that? Are you a friend that's praying for other people like that? If not, now is the time to make some adjustments.