Proverbs 13: 19-20
19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
Our society is on a constant quest for fulfillment. We all house strong desires for happiness and seek to find that which will quench those desires. As we navigate trying to find the next source of satisfaction, proverbs warns us on what that can lead to. True happiness is found when we pursue God and walk in his ways; only when we do this will our soul be completely satisfied. Many other things draw us towards pleasure and tease at fulfillment, but these temporary fixes for carnal desires. In these fixes we are bound to the enticing sin that eventually leads to our ruin. Those in the midst of this sin’s grasp hate anything that pull them towards correction and in foolishness deny God’s alternative.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
When you were younger you were probably at some point advised about who to make friends with. Some of us incessantly heard phrases like “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” or “You are who you hang around”?
Like those wise voices, Proverbs also advises us to take a look at who we are walking with. Those that we surround ourselves with heavily impact our lives. Good influences direct our ways, encourage our walks, and keep our paths straight. Just as a good companion can lead us, so can a bad companion. Those who walk with the foolish come to do foolish things and so comes their demise.
As you look back, how have the people around you influenced you? Is there someone that helped you steer away from foolishness? Today, who are you choosing to surround yourself with and what direction are they pulling you in? Is there a friendship or relationship that you need to add boundaries to? Can you identify someone near your circle that is straying away from the right path? What can you do today to help influence them to move in the correct direction?
Take time to thank someone today that helped influence who you are or maybe someone that helped you change your direction in the past. Pray for God to identify who you need to surround yourself with and give you the strength to let go of relationships that may be toxic.