the company we keep

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

 

I've been thinking about the many voices we hear each day.  Some of those voices speak over electronic media, like the internet or television or the movies.  Some speak in print through newspapers and magazines.  These many voices are easily accessible and we are drawn to them to fuel our natural appetites for information.  We live in the information age.  There is no end to the accessibility of knowledge and with wireless computers and smartphones it is a snap to plug into many voices.  The Corinthians didn't have electronic company like we do.  Paul's advice to them (verse above) must have pertained to the direct human contacts and teachers they surrounded themselves with.  But since we share the same weaknesses as those Greeks from long ago we know that we also must be careful about the company we keep.  The voices we listen to and the characters we surround ourselves with will shape our thoughts and guide our actions.  As Christians we say that we long to walk with the Lord and to follow His ways...but I suspect that we throw logs in our own paths by listening far more to other voices than the Lord's.  Of course we need the world's news and we benefit greatly from electronic advances, but are we giving primary attention to His voice?  What is the company we are keeping?  The voices of the world are more convenient than ever, but the eternal Word has always been even closer!

 

Romans 10: ⁸ But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 

 

blessings,

Rob Smith