Be Guided

Proverbs 12:²⁶ “The righteous should choose his friends carefully…” (NKJV).

The Word of God puts the burden of choosing the right friends on you. You have to choose your friends carefully. Yesterday, we learnt about the five kinds of people that we should not have as close friends. First, avoid having Lazy People as close friends. 2 Thessalonians 3:⁶ “Now here is a command, dear brothers, given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by his authority: Stay away from any Christian who spends his days in laziness…” (LB). If you have a friend that spends his days in laziness, heaven says to stay away. Second, stay away from Angry People. Proverbs 22:^24-25 “Don’t make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. You might learn their habits and not be able to change.” (GNT).

Third, do not make Immoral People your close friends. God says you can love them but do not make them your close friends. 1 Corinthians 5:^9-10 “…I told you not to associate with immoral people. Now I did not mean pagans who are immoral or greedy or are thieves, or who worship idols. To avoid them you would have to get out of the world completely.” (GNT). An unbeliever is an unbeliever. What else would an unbeliever do? He is going to be immoral, greedy, a thief, and worship idols. God says He does not have a problem with that because they are not saved yet. That is why it is funny when Christians demand that non-Christians behave like Christians. And they cannot because they are not even Christian.

1 Corinthians 5:¹¹ “What I meant was that you should not associate with a person who calls himself a believer but is immoral or greedy or worships idols or is a slanderer or a drunkard or a thief. Don’t even sit down to eat with such a person.” (GNT, emphasis added). This is big! Paul says do not even sit down with such a person, talk less about such a person being a close friend. So, if someone says he is a Christian and he is greedy, immoral, worships idols, a slanderer, and a drunkard. God is saying he or she should not be in your circle. You should not roll with such people. If it is an unbeliever, it is fine because that is how unbelievers behave. But not a Christian. Do not make immoral people your close friends. God says do not have them in your circle as close friends.

Fourth, do not have Stingy People as close friends. Some people are just too stingy. God says do not have stingy people in your circle. It is there in the Bible, Yes, it is. It is in the Bible Proverbs 23:^6-7 “Don’t eat at the table of a stingy person… “Come on and have some more,” he says, but he doesn’t mean it….” (GNT). You will eat at the table of your close friends, but not stingy people.

Prayer: Father, help me choose my friends carefully, in Jesus Name. Amen!