Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Wednesday 02/02/2011)

We Become The Company We Keep…

Psalm 1:1-5 (Amplified Bible)

¹BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. ²But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. ³And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. ⁴Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.⁵Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].

Psalm 1:1-5 (New Living Translation)

¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. ² But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. ³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. ⁴ But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. ⁵ They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

            When I was in High school I began to hang around a particular group of girls.  Let’s just say that were a departure from the people I hung with at church and previously in school.  As I began to attempt to fit in and the more I hung around them, the more, I found myself, acclimating to their behaviors and character.  This change had happen (and not for the good), and I had not even noticed, but rest assured my mother did. She used to say, “you are judged by the company you keep.”  I use to think, “oh she doesn’t like my friends,” I did not consider that who they were had taken over parts of me, and my behaviors and their actions had influenced mine to the point that I was not present. My attitude, language, how I reacted towards people, circumstances and events, no longer were my own, but they had become, the methodology of the group.

            All too often we fall into circles and situations without assessing what it may do to us.  We start hanging with people because they are family, they appear to be cool, or they seem popular, or they have the attention of a group or demographic that we would like to become a part of.  But have we ever considered that what they do and how they act is not for us, and it is not what we are called to?  Many times we miss, the evaluation process when we are picking friends, not realizing that the more we hang around people, the more some of their behaviors, attitudes, and life patterns we begin to adopt and adapt to.  It has only been in the last ten years that I have begun to understand the importance of allowing God to give me insight and to heighten my discernment, to what is in people and how those behaviors may affect me.  We are to love everyone, but everyone is not ordained to be in our inner circle, to be close enough to influence our lives.  A good measuring stick is, do they have a better relationship with God then I do, or at least on the same page?  Are they stewarding the lives of the people that are in their lives in a positive way?  Are they in a more positive posture than we are?  Is their attitude to encourage rather than to discourage and put down?  Is the only time they look down to help someone up?  If this is not what you are identifying, you may want to stand back and love them, from a far. I have heard it said that if the people around you, are in a worse place than you are, or they are not growing and maturing spiritually, mentally and emotionally, from year to year, that would be an indicator( if they are in our inner circle) that we aren’t either, especially if we have allowed them a place of influence.

            Take a moment this week, and think about who are you “running” and walking with?  Who are you sitting down with on a regular basis, and who are you standing around conversing with?  It may shock you when you take a hard look into the content of the character of the individuals that surround you.  If they are not adding to your life in a positive and encouraging way, then guess what they are detracting and bringing you into a place of negative consequence and living.  Ask God to be the main influence in your life. For many of us this is the problem, we have allowed people (“our boys,” our family, our girls, our peeps) to become more influential in our lives than God.  Instead of us becoming more like “Him,” we are becoming more like “them.” It is time to get our order of influence in proper order, and alignment.  God first and positive people that are adding to us, bringing us up and encouraging the best in us, next!  Our first aspiration should be to be more like Christ and secondly to have mentors and role models that we can walk with to master areas in our lives and to meet goals for ourselves.  It would be ashamed to find ourselves next year in the same spot doing the same thing with same group of people surrounding us, hustling and going nowhere fast!