Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
I am convinced that our elevation in life is directly related to who we choose to walk with. My ability to lead myself, my family and the church I pastor will be impacted by the people I choose to allow to have input and access into my life. If I walk with God. Spending time with God in the Scriptures, and talking with God in prayer, my ability to lead increases exponentially with the time and attentiveness that I put into my walk with God.
I'm also convinced that I need to not only walk with God, but also to walk with people who are wise, and limit the influence and access of unwise people's ability to speak into my life. When I was younger I ran with some pretty smart/intelligent guys, but many of them, along with myself at the time, were unwise in the choices we were making. I can make a direct correlation between when I stopped allowing those friends to have influence in my life to my ability to move into the path that God had for me. As I continued down a new path, I found new friends, wise friends, who helped to elevate my ability to hear from God and to follow him.
Maybe one of the reasons you and I find it difficult at times to hear from God is that we are walking with the wrong group of people. I'm not suggesting we should exclude those who are unwise, or are making poor decisions, far from it. What I am suggesting is we need to stop allowing them to impact how we think and how we live, and begin finding some people who will help us to walk with God. Who are the wise people you are walking with?
I am convinced that our elevation in life is directly related to who we choose to walk with. My ability to lead myself, my family and the church I pastor will be impacted by the people I choose to allow to have input and access into my life. If I walk with God. Spending time with God in the Scriptures, and talking with God in prayer, my ability to lead increases exponentially with the time and attentiveness that I put into my walk with God.
I'm also convinced that I need to not only walk with God, but also to walk with people who are wise, and limit the influence and access of unwise people's ability to speak into my life. When I was younger I ran with some pretty smart/intelligent guys, but many of them, along with myself at the time, were unwise in the choices we were making. I can make a direct correlation between when I stopped allowing those friends to have influence in my life to my ability to move into the path that God had for me. As I continued down a new path, I found new friends, wise friends, who helped to elevate my ability to hear from God and to follow him.
Maybe one of the reasons you and I find it difficult at times to hear from God is that we are walking with the wrong group of people. I'm not suggesting we should exclude those who are unwise, or are making poor decisions, far from it. What I am suggesting is we need to stop allowing them to impact how we think and how we live, and begin finding some people who will help us to walk with God. Who are the wise people you are walking with?
http://daleschaeffer.blogspot.com/2007/09/monday-september-24th-reflections.html?showComment=1190683800000#c8734959418856482876'> 20:30
Wow! That is an action packed reflection....and, I could not agree more. I have been in very similar situations. I have found myself a number of times in my life with friends that did not make the best decisions. As I hung around them, I made many of the same decisions as they did. While I still enjoyed being with and loved those people, I found I made much better decisions surrounded by others. Additionally, I found that more read the bible or supporting materials the better choices I made. Thank you Lord for protecting me even as I have made poor choices.
http://daleschaeffer.blogspot.com/2007/09/monday-september-24th-reflections.html?showComment=1190692800000#c1344248288175538433'> 23:00
I too reflect on my past and the unwise decisions that I made while hanging around 'fools'. I see loved ones who struggle largely in part from whom they chose to hang around. Thank you God for sending the positive influence of Christ followers into my life at the times that you did and for rescuing me from myself.