Choose Your Friends Carefully

Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs 13:20 NIV

The proverbs are bits of wisdom that a father might pass on to his son. They are intended to help him, and others who listen, succeed in life. They are not a guarantee that all will go well. But they are general principles that will prove beneficial to those who live by them.

A friend, unlike a casual acquaintance, is someone you are close to and share your life with. Friends influence our lives. And the closer they are, the more impact they have. Sometimes their impact is good. But sometimes their influence is more negative. This makes choosing our friends an important decision.

This proverb gives us one important piece of advice concerning who you choose to be friends with. And it is related to a person’s moral character. Generally, when we talk about being wise or foolish, we are referring to the way a person thinks. But that is not the case in Proverbs. In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman who leads us to righteous living: Lady Wisdom. In contrast, foolishness is personified as an Adulterous Woman who leads people into moral failure.

This proverb warns us about our friends, the people we hang out with. If our friends walk with Lady Wisdom, then we will be drawn to righteous living ourselves. But if the Adulterous Woman leads our friends, they will be anxious to introduce us to her. Choose your friends wisely, taking into consideration the impact they will have on you. Choose your friends carefully. Hang out with godly people who love our Lord, and you will find yourself more inclined to walk with Lady Wisdom and grow in godliness.