“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”
My friend Jonathan spouted this gem as he drove me to the airport last week. Maybe you’ve heard it before. I hadn’t. I loved it, because boy, oh boy, is it true!
And…get this…NOT just for kids or teenagers, although, of course, it’s certainly relevant for them. But it applies every bit as much for you and me.
So….just who are your friends?
What kind of people do you surround yourself with? Are they women who build you up? Encourage you? Challenge you to follow Christ with your whole heart? Do they inspire you to be a more loving wife? A wise mom? A positive co-worker? A diligent student? A person of integrity?
Or…
Do the people in your life bring you down? Leave you wondering if you really should have done what you did? Said what you said? Made the decision that you made?
Do you really have any true friends at all?
If you are a believer you have at least one true friend. “No longer do I call you servants” Jesus said, “from now on I call you friends.”
Unbelievably cool.
When we walk with Jesus as our friend He shapes our future for the good. When we walk with positive, loving, wise, Christ-seeking women, they shape our future positively, too.
Several years ago I purposely joined a group where the spiritual commitment was WAY above my own. It just about scared me to death, but I did it anyway because, frankly, I was tired of living the same old routine Christian life. It’s no exaggeration to say that year changed my life. The women challenged me to be more, love more, pray more, abide more. I am who I am in large measure because of the people around me.
What about you?
Now’s the time. Fall is around the corner, so get into a Bible study. Join a small group. Invite the gal you’ve always wanted to know a little bit more out for coffee. Sign up for the conference. Seek a mentor.
Act like your future depends on it.
Because it does.
