Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

It is time for us to make a fresh evaluation of our friends and partners. Only courageous and brave people are able to approach completion following God. If you want to succeed in Christ and in life, you might need to assess the influence of the people around you on your life and endeavors: friends, and business companions. Are they helping you to achieve your goals or on the contrary, slowing down your progress? Your reputation depends greatly on your ties.

Your reputation must characterize you as a serious, disciplined, responsible, and honest person. One folk proverb says: “A man is known by the company he keeps”. That is why it is so important to reappraise your friends and partnerships. Your relations with people will either move you forward or draw you back (1Samuel 20:1-23; 1Kings 12:1-16; 2 Samuel 13:1-29;). Relationships cannot be neutral, though many people think that people in their lives are “just friends”. They regard them so because they have never critically assessed such friendships. Actually any friendship that you have means something to you. If it does not give you anything, then it takes something away from you.

You either receive something from friendship with someone or give something away. Even though it is worthwhile to sow good seed into people’s lives, do not forget to analyze what soil you are sowing into. If you are just “casting pearls at swine” (Matthew 7:6), then it is worth breaking such a friendship. There is no denial that some friends are mere consumers who consume our time, energy, finances, and even health. Be uncompromising with the issues of friendship, and do not waste your precious time on pointless relationships. You must be prudent in the finest sense of the word; otherwise it will be difficult for you to achieve success in life.

Undoubtedly, we should be attentive and compassionate to all people, but if a person does not fulfill the will of God and, moreover, hinders you from fulfilling your calling, stop acting against your conscience and playing a hypocrite. You have a definite opinion inside of you; do not be ashamed to express it openly and directly.

Do not forget that you have a goal, which must be accomplished. If you are keen to succeed and fulfill your calling, leave behind anything that holds you back. Do not fear to assess your Christian relationships. If they bring you closer to Jesus Christ, develop them, but if the way of life of so-called brothers and sisters does not differ from the secular one, move away, because in the end, they will destroy your faith. Such relationships resemble a disguised delayed-action bomb, which will sooner or later explode with tragic consequences. God is our perfect partner, and He teaches us to have true and productive partnerships in every business.

Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character", says the word of God (1Corinthians 15:33). Bad company can corrupt even a talented person. If your companions do not satisfy God’s standards, look for other partners; otherwise you are in danger of destroying your relationship with God. You may consider yourself a strong person, who is able to resist all temptations, but the truth is that “bad company corrupts good character”.

If you really wish to achieve your goal, listen to God! He will never lead you up a blind alley. Do not be afraid to change your friends or companions; God has plenty of alternatives. God word tells us to not be deceived. Some people keep wrong partnerships that hinder them from realizing their potential in life, and yet still hold on to the status quo. It is not wise to bear with something you do not benefit from in a productive sense.

Friendship with people who hinder us from walking in God’s will makes our lives unproductive. It is much better for us to lose these friendships now than lose everything later on. The best way to appraise any relationship is to measure the extent to which it helps you to fulfill your goals and calling for which God has empowered you. We sometimes, act unwisely, and try to please people by playing along with their bad opinions. Turning back is not God’s mentality. God is a progressive and active God. That is why we cannot afford to slow down or lose our bearings. We must, therefore, examine the factors that impede us and do away with any relationships that hinder our spiritual growth and progress in life.