I’ve often heard, and have said it as well, that a person needs to be careful who they surround themselves with. I don’t know how many times I heard my parents (especially my mom) and my pastor say, “Choose your friends wisely. They will often make or break you.” I have heard it as a leader. “Choose wisely those you surround yourself with. Your success or lack of it will often be determined by your close friends.”
So I was pretty picky when it came to who I hung around with. No one who drank or smoked was in my close circle of friends. That severely limited my friends to be honest. I did have friends who liked the same music I did. I also had friends who didn’t go to church. But even they were limited.
Come to think of it: I didn’t have many friends at all. I didn’t party. I didn’t drink so I could barf and waste my money. My friends in school were more like acquaintances, pals I walked with between classes and saw on the bus. Basketball was part of the reason for that as well. Not being a great student and trying to play sports at the same time limited my exposure to others outside of school. But if the truth be known, I took seriously the words I heard.
Words like my mom’s. Words like my pastor’s.
Words like I Cor. 15:33- “Bad company corrupts good morals.” (ESV)
Words like Pr.13:20- “One who walks with wise people will be wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” (NASB2020)
As the king told Indy after he chose the chalice that looked least kingly: “You have chosen wisely.” I want my life to be one of wise choices…in all areas. It just may start with who I gather around me.
“Father, Your words of wisdom are not to be dismissed lightly. You had a reason for telling us to choose wisely. May I continue to make wise choices in the people I hang around with.”
Yes, LORD, thank You for Your Wisdom in whom I have in my inner circle of life.
Sounds like you have surrounded yourself with the right people Diane. Good for you.
I too avoided the “party scene” in high-school. I remember going to one party that I left early from as I really didn’t have a desire to engage in the activities. College wasn’t much different. I remember being invited to a frat recruitment event where the undocumented incentives didn’t really entice me. I was working to put my way through school and didn’t really have time to party. All that said, my circle was small and got even smaller my junior year after my divorce.
My circle remains small, but I believe it consists of those that would be described by Proverbs 13 above.
Ryan S.
I guess in some ways you and I are more alike than different. Except you are a ninja and I am a wimpy cyclist. 🙂 I do include you in my circle of friends though.
I didn’t really hang out with the people I knew during high school, at least not for a significant amount of time. Like many that have the same story.. it wasn’t my scene.
Even today I am leery of the people I hang out with. So many times we are still shunned in some ways by the people we DO know.
I live so far away Ed I have no contact whatsoever with former high school students.