Who’s Your Friend?
AN AMAZING FACT:
A 2004 Gallup poll indicates that the average American has nine close friends.In this same poll, 73 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the number of friends they have, but 23 percent wish they had a few more friends. It’s interesting that the number of friends drops to seven for those in their 30s and 40s, but rises to 12 for those over 65. The researchers also discovered that the more money people made, the fewer friends they had.
In a similar study on friends and churches, Gallup found that people who have friends within their own church could more fully live out their faith than those who tended to have friends outside their church. In other words, if you don’t have friends at church, it can actually impede your spiritual growth! Being isolated or having the wrong types of friends can pull you away from God. My father used to say, “If you sleep with dogs, you’ll get fleas.”
We often think of choosing friends as a thing to do during our teen years. But while it’s true that young people can develop new friendships that will last a lifetime, the principle of choosing our friends wisely is for every age. People might move to a new community or attend a new church or begin a new job and have opportunity to forge new relationships. Good friends at any age can be a powerful influence in our lives.
For instance, I’m impressed with the positive peer influence of friends when I read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. It’s an example of how the right friends can help you withstand intense peer pressure. King Nebuchadnezzar built a golden image nearly 90-feet tall and commanded all his government officials to come for the dedication.
At the king’s command, everyone was to bow down and worship the image—or face immediate execution. The three young Hebrews didn’t bow down; they stood strong together. As a result, they were thrown into the fiery furnace together … only to be miraculously rescued by God! Choose your friends wisely, because they will influence your life. Avoid making close friendships with those who are rejecting God.
Watch out for people with hot tempers. “Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go” (Proverbs 22:24). Beware of gossipers. Rather, spend time with those who have high values and stay near people with whom you can be honest. Your choices will impact your final destiny.
Additional reading: Proverbs 12:15–28
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them. Proverbs 12:26
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