You are the Sum of Your Friends

Don’t be deceived, you are the sum of your friends’ character.

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

Remember when momma used to tell you not to hang out with so and so person or people because they will lead you down the wrong path. Or maybe when your friends told you not to date so and so person because he or she was bad news. Well, if you didn’t realize it then, you probably realized it now– you actually become and espouse the character of the people around you than they do your own character. It’s true, we are more and more like them as we spend more time with them and their friends. Our personalities begin to change and our decision making process becomes more like theirs. 

How many times have you made foolish decisions because your friends or people closest to you made similar decisions? What’s crazy is that when they made those decisions the consequences bounced right off them, but not for you. You paid the full price, and the interest owed by others. Us alone, we don’t have the ability to influence others like they influence us. That’s okay. With that said, we must realize that if our purpose in life is to share the good news of Jesus Christ, we will be in the company of some foolish people. 

However, if being in the company of foolish people will eventually make us foolish, then what do we do? Dare I say not share the good news with lost people? Absolutely not. In fact, we should be connecting these people with more people who have Christ-like character and we should be a group that embraces the those that do not have Christ-like character so that they can also become more Christ-like.

It’s about the group of people. You need to bring your “foolish” friends into your group of wise friends. You need to outnumber your foolish friends with your wise friends.you need to form deep roots with people of Christ like character and surround your friends who lack Christ with them. You are the sum of characters that surround you. Be wise, surround the foolish with wisdom. It will change things.