Walking with the Wise #168: Wise Company

“Leave the presence of a fool,

for there you do not meet words of knowledge.”

—Proverbs 14:7

Careless words are like sparks in a forest; they fly everywhere and can cause fire. Fools are known for their careless words, brash behavior, scoffing attitude, and wont of discretion. The world is full of fools, those who have turned their back on God, offer up their own opinions on a host of spiritual matters of which they are ignorant, influencing others by their foolishness, sparking destructive fires of heresy and foolishness on those around them.

As Christians, God wants us to be wise in the company we keep. Though we are to reach out to "the least of these," interacting with sinners as Jesus did, we must also be careful that their behavior doesn’t affect our own. The company we keep can greatly affect our spiritual state. It can affect us positively — “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise” — and negatively — “the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). And, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’”—1 Corinthians 15:33.

If you notice your behavior starting to be affected by the company you keep, or your zeal for Christ beginning to wane because of the lukewarm nature of those around you; if you hear all kinds of foolish ideas and crazy theories, and shameful behavior and coarse joking, then you need to simply leave their presence. Surround yourself with those who are going to sharpen you, who are going to continue to challenge you to go deeper with Christ. Befriend those who are running the race of faith with their entire heart, and you will find yourself being transformed. You will find your own zeal intensified, your passion deepened, and your want of the Savior strengthened. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”—Proverbs 27:17.

May the Lord enable us to be sharpened, and to sharpen others to know Christ and to make Him known. Amen.