The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV

Growing up, I wanted to hang out with the kids who seemed fun or were cool. I don’t think that desire has changed much over the years with kids. But my mother had different criteria. Her primary concern wasn’t whether kids were cool enough for me, but whether those kids had character. This verse from the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church (using a quotation from the Greek poet Menander) is one I remember her using. It didn’t leave any wiggle room for further discussion from myself or my brother and sisters.

How can you impart that lesson to your children or other young people? It’s true that you can’t always choose the people you hang out with because of the environments you are in, but you can make some deliberate decisions as to who you will not hang out with. You should choose other couples or families who love God and who will help you to continue to become men and women of character. Folks who will help your family to grow in the encouragement and guidance of God.

Back to my parents. Whenever my siblings or I mentioned someone new, my mom and dad wanted to know if that person was a complainer, a gossip, or involved in things that he or she shouldn’t be getting into.

You can apply the same questions to evaluate your own children’s friends. Emphasize that it’s important to have friends with the same positive qualities you are teaching to them. You probably will be able to assess someone’s character pretty quickly after a few meetings. Learn about his or her family. Your input into the lives of your children’s friends and their families can possibly be life-changing for them. Maybe you can be the positive influence they are missing. Befriend the entire family when possible and make a difference in their lives.

Uncommon Key > Think about your own friends. Is there someone you should be spending more time with? Someone you should be spending less time with? It may be time to make some choices in this area.