He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)

Have you ever heard the phrase, “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas?” Or maybe you heard the saying, “He’s been hanging out with the wrong crowd.” This Bible verse explains those old sayings. God doesn’t want us hanging out with the wrong crowd. The Bible teaches us that being around wise people will make you more wise. Spending time with Jesus, the wisest of them all, will help us make better decisions in our life. When we accompany ourselves with spiritual mentors and counselors, it helps us better understand what wisdom looks like. We learn from other people’s experience, so we can apply it to our own life.

The consequences of a good and evil society are contrasted in this verse. Our friends can have a huge influence on us, whether it’s good or bad. Pop culture, such as the movies we watch and the music we listen to, also have an impact on who we are as people. It reflects our identity. If you want your identity to be associated with Jesus Christ, then you should make an effort to spend time with Him. Since Jesus died on the cross for our sins and resurrected back to life, we can have this intimate relationship with Him. He has made a way for us to be reconciled with Him, along with the vast and unlimited wisdom He offers.

As Christians, we should hang out with people who offer spiritual wisdom, which can make us better followers of Christ. Christian community will strengthen our walk with God. While evangelism to the lost is what God has called us to do, we also have to be careful not allow evil to lead us astray. Being in the company of the wise will improve our spiritual knowledge. A good example of this is having a spiritual mentor or being a part of a weekly Bible study.
This week, pray about the people you spend the most time with. Ask God if there is a way they can make a positive influence on you, or if you can make a lasting impact on them.