Kept By The Company We Keep
February 2
‘Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
1Corinthians 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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