Bad company corrupts good character. We have all heard about having good character or building character. Yet, it is difficult to live life unaffected by the actions of others. We have to be cautious when we are in the company of people who are a bad influence. We can be exposed to repetitive behaviors that can likely move us to have behaviors that mimic the people we surround ourselves with. People are known by the company they keep.
Proverbs 13:20says, ‘One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”
As children of God, we can prioritize everything that brings us closer to God. If our company does not meet God’s standards. We can look for new people to associate with, otherwise we risk losing blessings from God. Spiritual discipline, hard effort, and learning from our previous mistakes, are all part of the process and of developing godly character. Bad company causes problems by destroying our heart, corrupting our character, harming our reputation, and damaging happiness along with hurting our soul. When we surround ourselves with like-minded people, we encourage each other, and build character that is acceptable to God.
You might be thinking, Jesus hung out with bad company. He associated with them to show mercy, offer redemption, and demonstrate God’s kingdom. Jesus was strong enough to influence them without being swayed by their sin. His mission was intentional – calling people to repentance, not conforming to their lifestyle. The Bible acknowledges that not all believers are equally equipped to engage with those values or morals without being negatively influence. Spending too much time with those who actually reject God’s way and we can our flesh, especially if we don’t have a strong foundation.
We should never allow our flesh to rule in any situation, but should pray that we can overcome the weakness of our flesh, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
From Pity to Praise 