What is Your Company?

“Do not be misled, bad company ruins good morals,” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Have you ever spent so much time with somebody you catch yourself acting like them? Maybe you’ve started to unintentionally mimic their laugh, or perhaps you are starting to say things they would say. Whatever the circumstance, this “mirroring” of behaviour is common in all of us.

The people we choose to spend our time with play a vital component in how we carry ourselves. We learn at a young age not to be involved with groups that could particularly destroy our well being and eat away at our true self. Peer pressure is a buzz word that we sometimes don’t even realize is happening; much like the mirroring effect and altering who we are.

1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us about company that is detrimental to right standing with God. When we think of company, we often assume this means people or friends specifically. However, the original Greek translation also translates this word as association. Thus, it is whatever we associate with. This can be the type of music we listen to, the Instagram friends we choose to follow, and the television we watch. All of these things must be used with a high degree of discretion as we can find ourselves in comfortable company with these things.

The Bible gives us explicit warnings on what we give our time to. For example, Proverbs 13:20 says,

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”

And again in Matthew 6:21 Jesus says,

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Does this underscore an excuse to ignore those who may be on a trajectory of evil doings? Absolutely not. This is simply a warning to guard your heart alongside your morals. In fact, as Believers, we have a calling to be hope to the hopeless and spread the Good News about Christ Jesus to everyone.

So, whatever your company is, be it a friend, Facebook, or whatever you spend time with, you have a decision to make. Be alert as to what is steering you away from where God wants you to be.

And so, we leave you with this Word,

“The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks,” (Luke 6:45).