“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
After playing at the park, my 7-year-old granddaughter (who was about 5 at the time) yelled goodbye to another little girl as we left. Climbing into the car, I asked her who that was. She said it was her best friend. I asked what her name was, and she said she didn’t know. So I asked where she knew her from, and she looked at me like I was crazy and said, “Here at the park, silly.” When I asked how long she had known her, she asked me how long we had been at the park. I said about an hour, and she replied, “Some of that time.” There are many theories about friendship in relation to the developmental stages of life. Most include the ease of making friends early in childhood. They move to neighborhood friends in elementary school, then to common-interest and group friends in junior and senior high school. As we age, friendships become harder to form. Perhaps we become more discerning, or maybe people become more guarded and wary of being hurt through life’s experiences. Whatever the case, Solomon reminds us, as followers of God, to be careful in selecting those who will walk intimately through our journey with us. It is very possible—and even biblically mandated—that we learn to be kind to everyone. However, walking in close trust and influence with someone is both a gift and a process, as God counsels and warns us. Godly friends lead us toward our Father, while ungodly friends lead us away, even to destruction. Today, be wise in selecting those who will travel this world with you and will speak into your story. #BeTheEdge
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV
