CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS

DAY 176

Jeremiah 20:10 Yet on every side I hear their whispered threats and am afraid. “We will report,” they say. Even those who were my friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”

Based on the integrity of scripture, if I had any advice following the opening words of Jeremiah in today’s reference text, it would be ‘run from those you call your friends’. It is a scary prospect to find yourself surrounded by people who you call ‘friends’, but who are only waiting for you to slip up and capitalise on this.
Those people beloved, are not friends – not even close.

In every single circumstance, those you surround yourself with and those you call ‘friends’ matter. On this, the Word of God is not lax at all:

‘He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise, But the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm’ (Prov 13:20).

While it may seem that you automatically gravitate towards those who become your friends, don’t be deceived because you choose your friends. You very literally hand pick them because friendship is always a two way street. So don’t just have friends, be conscious about your choice.

The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin, But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother (Prov 18:24).

Find such people.

#sly