Choose Wisely!

 While Jesus taught us how to love and treat ALL people in the last two blog entries, in today's study he gets specific when choosing our friends and close companions. When choosing those who we let deeply into our lives. Who we choose to "do life with." While we decide how to treat all people equally in love, (I. Cor. 13:4-8) we do not allow just any 'ol person into our lives to get close to us. This is a protection He teaches today.

Jesus had so many followers. Then He had the twelve apostles he did life with. Then among them He had his closest companions which were Peter, James, and John. 

He loved all people equally across the board, but He chose carefully who He allowed into His everyday life. Then He was even more careful who He allowed to be His closest companions. He gave us an example to follow today in the 21st century.

How do we know who to pick to be our friends, close companions, and even our spouses? 

He tells us how right here:

Luke 6:43-45 NIV

[43]  “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. [44] Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. 

People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 

[45] A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. 

For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

People who are good, do good things. People who are bad, do bad things. You will know them by what they do. Choose good people. Choose Christians. 

Let's say we just met someone and we haven't seen their actions to know if they are good or bad. We don't know if they are a Christian. How will we know who is good and who is bad? Jesus said to listen how they talk. We just listen to them.

"For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." 

We can learn who a person is, what is down in their heart by what they say and talk about. That's how we learn who we want to be friends with or who we want to be close companions with. If they are good people, we will know it in the initial interaction by what they say. 

You say, "Okay. Got it. But why do this? Who cares who I grow close to?" God cares because as Christians, He is inside us as the Holy Spirit lives inside us. We represent Jesus in the world. So we should make friends and close companions with good people who will enrich our lives. 

Jesus knows that we influence each other as we all hang out together. Oftentimes, we become like those we hang out with. You've heard that saying, "Birds of a feather flock together." 

So we can't allow just anyone to be close companions in our lives, because we will become like them. We should make friends with Christians and then good people out in the world.  Paul teaches this here:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV

[14] Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? [15] What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? [16] What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” [17] Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” [18] And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

King Solomon cautioned us also:

Proverbs 12:26 NIV

[26] The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

As Christians, we represent Jesus in our lives. We belong to Jesus Christ. We belong to God. We are the Church, so it matters who our closest friends and companions are. So, let's use His advice in this teaching when making friends and close companions.

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post