Staying Spiritually Solvent

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17

On February 26, 1995, Barings Bank, England’s oldest, declared bankruptcy after losing nearly one billion dollars. How could such a thing happen? Lack of accountability. A twenty-eight-year-old Barings trader in Singapore had been given too much authority—like letting a schoolboy grade his own tests. He lost money in stock trades, and no one knew about it—until all of the bank’s money was gone.

If that trader had been surrounded by associates who were closer to him, his failures might have been caught before they turned into a freefall. It’s hard to overestimate the positive influence that good and godly friends, mentors, and role models can have on our lives—or the negative results that accrue when we have a “lone ranger” mentality. Not only can friends keep us from going astray, they can move us in the right direction as well.

Surveys have shown that in our disconnected culture, most people have few, if any, close friends. How about you? Don’t be a stranger! Be a good friend, and you’ll have good friends who can help you find, and stay on, the right path.

Peer pressure can have a negative or positive effect. Make sure your peers are of the positive kind.