Friendships Part 2

I'll never forget what one of my mentors in the past would always say: Show me your friends and I'll show you your future. That truth has always stuck with me.

I remember when I was in 4th grade. I was a really quiet kid that wasn't able to make very many friends except with some of the bad kids. I never really quite fit in with that group though, but I remember how powerful their influence was on me. One friend in particular invited me one time to go throw rocks at a neighbors house. Not one of my best moments:)

I have since learned the importance of having the right friends. While having the wrong friends can drag you down, having the right friends can lift you up. In college I was drawn to with people who had a similar passion in their heart for God. I typically avoid churchy phrases, but for the sake of discussion I made friends with people who I found to be a "kindred spirit". That's not to say that I didn't have any other friends, but my primary friendships, the ones I allowed to influence me, were with people who were serious about God.

Proverbs 13:20 says, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."

All of us are influencers, in one way or another. We are constantly influencing others and allowing others to influence us. I believe that this Scripture teaches us that surrounding ourselves with wise friends and counselors has a profound effect on the shaping of our lives. The people that we align ourselves with, identify ourselves with, and allow to influence us, will have an undeniable effect on our development.

Friendships are critical and vital, and the deepest friendships are truly a gift from God. Even more important than having friends is the quality of the friends we choose. I'm so thankful for the many wise friends whom God has sent into my life.