The Company We Keep

I was recently driving with someone, and in our conversation, they mentioned the story of a man that is facing life imprisonment because he confessed to a crime on a wire. As we were talking about it, it came out that the person wearing the wire was his friend, and had also been involved. To save himself, he took a plea deal to set up the other “friend”. What a sobering reminder that there is wisdom in who we call a friend. 

As we have discussed wisdom this week, it reminded me of these two scriptures:

Proverbs 2:11-15 NKJV 

Discretion will preserve you;

Understanding will keep you,

To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse things,

From those who leave the paths of uprightness

To walk in the ways of darkness;

Who rejoice in doing evil,

And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

Whose ways are crooked,

And who are devious in their paths;

Proverbs 1:10-19 NKJV

My son, if sinners entice you,

Do not consent.

If they say, “Come with us,

Let us lie in wait to shed blood;

Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,

And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,

We shall fill our houses with spoil;

Cast in your lot among us,

Let us all have one purse”—

My son, do not walk in the way with them,

Keep your foot from their path;

For their feet run to evil,

And they make haste to shed blood.

Surely, in vain the net is spread

In the sight of any bird;

But they lie in wait for their own blood,

They lurk secretly for their own lives.

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;

It takes away the life of its owners.

Your life can drastically change in a few minutes. Taking advice from the wicked and  scornful can cause you to make a life altering choice. Proverbs 2 reminds us to have discretion and wisdom to keep us out of harm’s way, and Proverbs 1 tells you not to keep certain company! From my earlier example, these two friends led each other astray by deciding to shed blood, and now will spend their lives in prison. 

The Bible l warns us several times about keeping bad company:

1 Corinthians 15:33 

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

Proverbs 4:14-15 

Do not enter the path of the wicked,

And do not walk in the way of evil.

Avoid it, do not travel on it;

Turn away from it and pass on.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

The Bible is clear that hanging with evil people will destroy you! Saints, even in friendships, use wisdom. If someone wants you to sin, flee and get away from them. It’s not worth your life or salvation. 

Be blessed!