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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I have a question for us. Would you agree that one of the most powerful forces in the world today is something called “Facebook”? As you know, ‘Facebook’ is simply a way for friends to communicate with each other. Friendship is a very powerful influence, both for good and for harm. Today let’s look closely at this. ‘Facebook’ is, everyday, the source of great delight, joy, encouragement to many people who see pictures and hear from friends far away. But we must also admit that ‘Facebook‘ can also be the source of great pain and suffering of rejection, abandonment, gossip, rumor, backbiting, slander and peer pressure. That’s the darkside of friendship gone sour, especially for young people.
This week we are reflecting on very important Life Principles shared by the Apostle Paul with young Timothy, as found in the letter of 2 Timothy in the Bible. Here’s the Principle for today: “Choose friends wisely, affection opens the soul to influence.”
Consider 2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the LORD out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. The Lord’s servant must instead be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct..”
It should not be difficult to review in your mind, all the people who are part of your social network and identify those who ‘…pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace…” They are likely the same people who “…call on the LORD out of a pure heart.’ I urge you to thank God for bringing these people into your life, and pray for God’s blessing upon them. Then think about how you can encourage these people and I urge you to find ways to be part of God’s blessing in their lives. Cherish and nurture the relationships you have with these special people, for the Holy Spirit is using them in your life for your good and God’s glory.
Have you seen the evidence in your own life that affection, love, opens your soul…your heart, mind, personality, even your will, to be influenced? This is a fundamental reality in marriage and family. Out of love for each other, we change our attitudes, our choices, our tone of voice, even our behavior, since we don’t want to offend or cause pain to those we love, isn’t that true? My married friends, this is what Ephesians 5:21 is all about… “Serve one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Parents and children, it’s what Ephesians 6:1-4 is all about. Take a moment and look closely at it: “Children, obey your parents in the LORD, for this is right. Honor your father and mother – which is the first commandment with a promise, ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life in the land.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the LORD.” Love, trust, admiration and respect are closely intertwined together aren’t they, as we open our souls to be influenced in our affection for those we care deeply about. Family should be the most influential of all relationships.
Conversely, we are naturally cautious about allowing a relationship of love and admiration to develop between ourselves and those who are offensive to us. We naturally put up the barriers, we find ways to avoid time with such people. Do you see how Paul cautions Timothy to identify those whose influence in his life would be harmful to him? Listen to these words… “Flee the evil…Don’t have anything to do with… escape from the trap of the devil…”
Now, what self-protection methods do you have in place to protect your soul from the influence of people all around you who distract or prevent you from becoming more and more a God honoring man or woman? How are we teaching our children and grandchildren how to use wisdom and discernment to identify and respond appropriately to those people who will be helpful, but also those who will be harmful to us, in their influence upon our souls?
Have you noticed there’s a strange conflict deep inside you? Do you sometimes find a strange attraction to those who live a little more on the wild side, those who will tend to draw you just a little closer to the darkness or at least the gray zones in life? What is that? That’s your sinful nature looking for friendship, it’s that simple.
So here’s a secret for those among us who are developing close friendships, especially dating, romantic relationships. Take a picture of yourself BEFORE you knew this person and another picture of yourself now. Look at your two pictures by evaluating your character, your attitudes toward money and fun, especially your attitudes toward God and anything spiritual. Consider the differences between the two pictures. How have you changed since these friends have come into your life? Friendship is powerfully influential! Do you like the changes you see in yourself? Are you becoming more the person you really want to be for God’s glory or. . . Now here’s a powerful truth: the path of change will remain consistent if you keep the same friends. It will only change if you change those who influence you! You will become more and more like your friends. The deeper your affection for them, the greater the power of their influence in your life.
Husbands and wives, engaged couples, even couples who are dating…watch this carefully. By God’s design the person who influences you most, for the longest period of your life, is your spouse. You should see consistent, helpful influence over the decades, IF God has His hand of blessing upon this relationship. Here’s an important word of warning for those dating or engaged. If the one you think you love is NOT drawing you closer to Jesus, they are probably NOT the life partner God is preparing for you! If when you compare who you are today with who you were before you started dating this person and you don’t like the changes you see, that’s a warning to you from God! God will bring to us, as His best choice for our life partner, someone who will help us become more and more the God honoring man or woman He has designed you to be! Someone who will motivate you to deepen your relationship with Jesus!
Paul writes to Timothy: “People will become lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Tim.3:1-5) We know there are several other places in Scripture which help us see the contrast between those living under the profound influence of their sinful nature and the dark kingdom, and those living under the wonderful influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. You might want to consider Galatians 5:16-25 or Ephesians 4:17-5:12 or Colossians 3:1-17.
Now my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends, in closing today consider Jeremiah 18:1-6 “This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ‘Go down to the potter’s house and there I will give you My message. So I went down to the potter’s house and I saw him working at the potter’s wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me…can I not do with you as the potter does? Like clay in the hand of the potter, so you are in My hand…”
Now please my friends, ponder this: how is God using the friendships, the experiences, the circumstances in your life to shape you and your character into the person He has designed you to be for His glory and for the benefit of everyone your life touches? And how might the devil be trying to disrupt God’s work in your life through the influence of people who will draw you away from God’s loving and refining work in your life? Here’s the Life Principle again: “Choose friends wisely, affection opens the soul to influence.”
Oh Jesus how can we thank you for the joy of friendships and family. But it’s true, we can be greatly influenced by those who draw us away from You and disrupt what God is doing in our lives, so please, Holy Spirit, help us have wise discernment in who and how we allow people to have influence in our lives. And help us perceive how we are influencing those whose lives we touch.
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 2 Timothy 2:22-3:5. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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