Choosing Friends

Proverbs 12:26a(ERV)

Good people are careful about choosing friends.

Proverbs 13:20(ERV)

Be friends with those who are wise, and you will become wise. Choose fools to be your friends, and you will have trouble.

Proverbs 18:24(ERV)

Some friends are fun to be with, but a true friend can be better than a brother.

Proverbs 27:17(ERV)

As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.

1 Corinthians 15:33(ERV)

Don’t be fooled: “Bad friends will ruin good habits.”

We don’t have a choice about the family we were born into, but we have a choice about who our friends are, especially close ones.

If some people are constantly bringing you down or emptying you of all your energy, think twice about that close friendship.

It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cut that person out of your life, but at least set some boundaries.

We all should be willing to help others, encouraging others, and uplifting others, but not at our own mental, spiritual, financial, or emotional expense.

When you’re empty, then you start to neglect your own life, then we are no good to anyone.

So, we must choose our friends wisely.

Three levels of friends.

1. Try to always have at least one person you look up to, as a mentor or such, social media can be an option, try not to always be the smartest one in your circle, that way you are always learning and improving.

Confucius quote:

“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”

Same with your circle, always try to be learning from your friends or having friends on social media that you can learn from.

2. Try to always have at least one person that is kind of on your level of growth and or experience, kind of a partner or colleague, home girl, or home boy, if possible.

Iron Sharpens Iron.

3. Try to always have at least one person who you are mentoring or helping them to improve, let it be natural, and try not to force it.

But know the difference between a parasite and a protege.

Parasite – Just takes, mostly materialistic, wants what in your hand.

Protege – Wants to learn and grow, wants what’s in your heart.

Neither level is more important than the others. We are all in this together.

So let’s always be giving, helping, encouraging others, but be wise.

Jesus had 12 disciples, but he was closer to 3, Peter, James, and John, his inner circle.

Jesus loves them all, but only 3 went up to the mountain with him.

Some places you are going in your life, you cannot take everyone.

Eleanor Roosevelt quote:

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”

Choose friends wisely