A Key to Change: New Friends
By the Rev. Michael Stubbs, Special to The Gazette
Friday, August 14, 2009
Most people come to a place in their life when they eventually realize a change needs to take place. They realize their current lifestyle is not producing the results they would like so they set out on a quest to find solutions.
This is good.
Some people just keep on doing the same things expecting different results and reap the fruit of their decisions, constantly angry that God or somebody else didn’t save them from their own foolishness. They blame others continually, especially those with more productive lives, so they will not feel as badly about themselves. By the way, this only makes them feel worse because they are not longer only fools, but angry, critical fools.
So changing something in a person’s life will produce different outcomes — simple enough.
Wise people turn to God who is the one we will ultimately face in the end. The wise man prepares to face God on good terms.
The fool takes no thought to such things. The fool continues to make low quality, self-defeating decisions having never considered how their decisions hurt themselves and others.
For sake of argument, let’s say you are one who really has noticed something needs to change, and you are willing to make some substantive changes. Here’s a little key to change: Change your friends!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.”
The people you hang out with will influence you. I don’t know how many times people have come to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ in my church and approached me later to tell me they felt they needed to change their friends and wanted my opinion.
My father-in-law told me shortly after I invited Jesus Christ to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior on April 7, 1984, that he had observed that new believers who did not change their circle of friends did not do well in the faith. It did not take long for me to decide I had to choose who my influencers would be. I decided to get some Christian friends.
I purposely observed some individuals and chose who my new friends would be. I’ve always told my daughter, “Choose your friends or they will choose you.”
My new friends talked about wholesome things, entertained in more wholesome ways, lived more wholesome lives, and I quickly learned I could have fun without waking up with a headache or paying a fine. Now that is real fun!
If you are at a junction in your life where you are contemplating a change, I would like to encourage you to examine your friends. Are they improving the quality of your life? If not, change them.
There are plenty of wholesome, godly people out there who would like to be your friends. I called a member of our church one day and got voicemail. His message said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your call. I’ve been making some changes in my life. If I don’t return your call, you are one of those changes.”
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Michael Stubbs, pastor at Victory Fellowship Church.