“No
man is an island. . .” John Donne
Were
you taught this old adage? It’s true; no one is completely self-sufficient.
Everyone must rely on the company and comfort of others in order to thrive.
Friendships are important. Friends fill a need in our lives to belong. They
provide a sounding board for questions. They offer us a shoulder to cry on and
a partner when we want to do the happy dance.
Parents
constantly warn their children and teens about hanging out with others who are
a bad influence. But that warning applies to us as adults, too. The opinions,
convictions, and ideas of our close, intimate friends affect our own
sentiments, values and thoughts. Our BFFs rub off on us—for good or
for evil—no matter what age we are.
While
God has blessed me with wonderful friends everywhere that we have lived, there
have been times when I have had to walk away from friendships that affected me
negatively—a roommate who did not share my moral convictions, a lady who
constantly disparaged her husband, two women with contagious critical
attitudes. We’ve all experienced the difficult but necessary decision to end an
unhealthy relationship.
God’s
Word has a LOT to say about friends—those with whom we choose to walk around
this island in the universe. I found these 12 particularly intriguing:
Psalm 1:1 Don’t join in with those who have no use for God.
Proverbs 1:10-18 Stay away from bad influences.
Proverbs 12:26 A righteous person is a guide for their friends.
Proverbs 13:20 Stay close to those who are wise; avoid those who
are foolish.
Proverbs 17:17 True friends love us at all times.
Proverbs 22:24-25 Don’t make friends with hot-tempered people.
Proverbs 34:1-2 Don’t make friends with evil people.
Proverbs 27:17 People learn from one another.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two people are better off than one, for they
can help each other.
Romans 16:17-18 Watch out for those who go against the teaching
you have received.
1 Corinthians 5:9-11 Avoid immoral Christians.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Bad companions ruin good character.
So,
whether we are 9 or 90, we do well to heed God’s caution to carefully filter our friendships.
Be
encouraged!
Pam
©2019 Pamela D. Williams
writepam71@gmail.com
