Friends. We all have them, we all need them, and we can’t imagine our lives without them. But, if we are wise, we will choose our friends carefully, and today’s word of wisdom demonstrates why.

Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” That means that you become who your friends are. They have great influence over you, greater than you probably ever realize.

You see, if you hang out with wise people, you will become wise yourself. But if you hang out with foolish people, you will become foolish yourself and suffer great harm. One counselor wrote that we become the average of the five people we most hang out with. Who are those five people for you? Do you like the influence they have on you? Is God pleased with who they are shaping you to be?

Another person remarked, “If you hang out with nine losers, you’ll be the tenth.” Beloved, just as the Bible says, “Bad company corrupts good morals.” You might think, “Oh, I know they’re not the best guys or girls to hang out with, but I plan to pull them up to something better.” And, you just might do that, but always remember that it’s easier to pull somebody down than to pull somebody up. The odds are against your good intentions, and before you know it, you’ll likely be down there with them in the pit.

So, choose your friends carefully because what your friends are, you will become.

Change begins in you!