Kept
By The Company We Keep
‘Do not be misled: “Bad company
corrupts good character.”
1 Corinthians 15:33
Reece was the new kid. He hadn’t
been particularly popular in his former school, but he’d had some
good friends. Longing for acceptance, he was letting his emotions
override his good sense. He started hanging with a group of kids that
didn’t have any respect for rules. Most of them smoked; something
Reece considered foolish at best…stupid in light of the
overwhelming link to cancer. They drank too. No matter they were all
underage, it was cool, so they did it.
Need is a strong motivator, and Reece
began tipping back a bottle or two to show himself worthy of their
company. Soon he was popping pills from the Pharm Pond—the
term used for the stash acquired from raids on their parents’
prescriptions.
In the span of a year Reece slid into
a lifestyle diametrically opposed to his previous beliefs, becoming a
person of interest with local law enforcement. On a snowy evening,
Reece, with drugs on the seat beside him, tried to outrun police.
Busy trying to scoop up his stash to pitch out the window, Reece
looked up too late to negotiate the turn he was entering. The ensuing
wreck left him a paraplegic. Not one of his so-called friends visited
him during his six months of rehabilitation.
Reece accepted responsibility for his
actions and was placed on probation for three years. During that time
he re-discovered his relationship with Jesus, re-evaluated his
choices, and decided never to settle for less than a true friend in
the future.
†
Many have said, “I don’t have to do
what they’re doing to be their friend.” The truth is, if we hang
around them long enough we’re bound to adopt some of their habits,
eventually compromising our integrity.
No one is exempt from temptation. The
longer we passively resist, the greater the odds become that we’ll
cave in at some point, doing the very thing that repulsed us before.
The truth is we are kept by the company we keep.
Prayer
“I want to be wise about
my friendships, Lord. Help me choose with wisdom for my future. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
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