Monday 19 May 2014

Do Your Associations Bring Out The Best In You?

Happy Monday my lovely readers and followers

Hope you had a nice weekend?

There are tons of biblical scriptures that have made reference to the company that we keep. For the Bible to make reference to it on numerous times, it means God wants us to consider the company that we keep carefully. Don't start thinking 'how am I going to convert them to a Christian if I do not associate with them. God will instruct you if He wants you to have a close relationship with such individual.

Proverbs 22:24-25 which states that:

 Keep away from angry, short-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul. (New Living Translation Version).


There is an old saying that says: show me your friend and I will know who you are.

The Bible says evil association corrupts good manners.  Therefore, the right association brings the right motivation in this life journey. As a teenager, I remember my sister made reference to the old saying to me from time to time in her efforts to keep me on the straight and narrow path. 

The issue of friends is a life principle as well as a spiritual principle that we must all learn.

God brings us across the path of people for various reasons and when we identify those reasons, it would allow us to know what to do.

Associations can be classified into short term and long term, as not all our friends are to stay for long term, the earlier we understand this, the better, as this would prevent us from being angry at people. In addition, John Maxwell stated within his book that, we must know that there are friends for a reason, there are friends for a season and there are friends for a lifetime.

My friend and I had a discussion about associating with ISI (Iron Sharpenth Iron) people.

Who are ISI friends and people?

ISI friends build trust.

i) They offer the right information, ii) they leave good trademarks in your life, iii) they share biblical truth and they are inspired by God to say the right and share appropriate information with you, iv) they sometimes partner with you in prayers, v) they search and encourage you to know and follow the Word of God.  

Do you know you can be an ISI friend to people that you come across or the people that God leads you to?

Friends/People:

Some people associate with us to either pull us back or push us forward.

Some people are there because they have a need in our lives to meet. Therefore, we must be patient with them.

Some people come into your lives to teach you some core life lessons.

Some people are there to help you fulfil your purpose in life while some may come into your lives and they may influence you to loose your focus.

Some people come into your lives to influence you negatively, and to test your beliefs and values.

Knowing where each one of the above people falls into is wisdom, as it would help you to know how to relate with them.

Examples of people that carefully selected their associates are: David and Jonathan,and Joshua and Caleb. 
I recently learnt about the negative influence of Jonadab on Amnon; it's a biblical story.  Check it out here

Final notes from me:

The Bible says:
                             Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalms 1:1, 2 NKJV).

Therefore,
                            Blessed is the individual who carefully selects his or her friends/associates. And how do you carefully do that? Watch out for next week's post.

- Myss Lafunky

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