How should we choose our friends?

Have you chosen the right friends? Have you been the right kind of friend?

Scripture is clear that the kind of company we keep can have a dramatic impact on our lives and on our ability to honor the Lord.  Here are three simple verses that speak to the significant influence friends can have on our lives.

Proverbs 12:26
The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Bad company corrupts good morals.

If we understand that God’s goal for our lives is that we might become like His Son (2 Corinthians 5:9), then we ought to surround ourselves with people who encourage us and stimulate us to faithfully follow Christ’s example.  That is one reason why it is so important to be vitally connected to a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, Bible-practicing church.  The book of Hebrews speaks about the responsibility believers have to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).  Brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ are called to lovingly challenge one another to be all that God has called them to be in Christ.  Not only are we to seek out relationships where others will motivate our growth, but we are also to seek out these relationships so that we might stimulate the same kind of growth in others.

Trey Garner
Trey Garner is the Pastor of Children's Ministries at Faith Church. He has been married to his wife Deb since 2001. They have two children named Noah and Lauren. Originally from Texas, Trey appreciates barnwood, armadillos, and Blue Bell Ice Cream.