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Proverbs 13:20 - Are Your Friends Led by the Word or the World?

Proverbs 13:20 (ESV) Whoever walks with the 
wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools 
will suffer harm.  

Proverbs 13:20 (MSG) Become wise by walking 
with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your 
life fall to pieces.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   One of the things that causes people to 
miss Gods plan is peer pressure. Most of us 
know what that was like as a kid or teenager, but 
that pressure actually continues into adulthood. 
Theres plenty of bad advice floating around out 
there, and too often we feel pressured to follow 
it. 
   Proverbs 13:20 says, Wise friends make 
you wise, but you hurt yourself by going around 
with fools (CEV). You cant soar with the 
eagles if youre running with the turkeys, so 
choose your friends wisely. If you keep company 
with wise friends, youre going to become 
wise. 
   We all worry about air pollution and 
water pollution. Have you ever worried about mind 
pollution? If you want to follow Gods direction, 
make sure your advice is from the right source. 
   The Bible says in 1 John 3:7, Do not 
let anyone lead you the wrong way! Christ is 
righteous. So to be like Christ a person must do what 
is right (NCV). 
   The difference in a thermometer and a 
thermostat is that a thermometer reflects the 
temperature of the environment and a thermostat sets the 
temperature of the environment. Every day, youre 
faced with a decision: Are you going to be a 
thermostat or a thermometer? [Daily Devotional by Rick 
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

COMMENTARY

Wisdom Walk
   With whom do you walk (figuratively or 
literally) through life who offers you wisdom? Do you 
walk with your father or father-in-law, or mother 
or mother-in-law? When you walk with them are 
you slow to speak and quick to listen? Indeed, 
wisdom comes to those who listen more and talk 
less. Wisdom is a product of the people who pour 
into you. 
   Your wisdom walk may be over the phone 
with a mentor who lives in another city or a 
neighbor across the street who, by Gods grace, has 
already raised God-fearing children. Look around you 
and learn from those wise ones the Lord has 
placed in your life. Pray for a Paul who can 
be your spiritual instructor. Timothy, my 
son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He 
will remind you of my way of life in Christ 
Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in 
every church (1 Corinthians 4:17). 
   No one is ever too old or too wise to 
need a regular wisdom walk. Perhaps you take the 
time to walk with your spouse after dinner or a 
co-worker during the lunch hour. Vacations are ideal 
to walk with a wise family member. Walk while 
the brilliant sun arises or a majestic sunset 
kisses the horizon. A wisdom walk allows your soul 
to catch up with the hectic pace of your body. 
Indeed, walk with the wise, and you will grow wise. 
   Talk about topics that are relevant to 
your season of life. Maybe it is insight into 
parenting a teenager, financial management, decision 
making, how to love and respect your spouse, books 
to read, or devotion to Christ. Ask your wise 
walkers what mistakes they made and how you can 
learn from them. Listen to their ideas, process 
them in prayer, and apply them to your life. 
Otherwise, unused wisdom becomes fodder for 
foolishness! 
   Above all, have wisdom walks with 
almighty God. Unlike Adam and Eve, learn to live in 
the intimacy of the moment with your heavenly 
Father (Genesis 3:8). Walk with Jesus, and you will 
become much the wiser. Keep Christ your closest 
companion. [Wisdom Hunters Devotional] 

The Barbershop
   When I was a teenager, my dad would say, 
"If you hang out in a barbershop long enough, 
you're going to get a haircut." He knew my friends 
were doing things they shouldn't, and the 
implication was that if I kept hanging out with them, 
I'd end up doing them too. The only thing worse 
than the saying was the fact that it was true. Of 
course I gave in to peer pressure. Okay, so it 
didn't take much pressure for me to give in. But 
that's me.  
   We tend to think that peer pressure is 
something only teenagers face. That would be nice, but 
it simply isn't true. There are people in each 
of our lives who aren't thrilled about our 
desire to seek recovery - people we used to hang 
out with, people who don't like that we've 
changed because it makes them wonder if they should 
change, people who used to enable us by keeping our 
secrets or turning a blind eye to the fact that we 
have a problem.  
   When these people turn on the pressure 
for us to relapse or pretend everything is just 
fine when we know it isn't, we're going to need a 
way to stay strong. God is the One - the only 
One - who can keep us from compromising. He is 
our strength, our fortitude, our safe place.  
   Father God, protect me and help me out of 
the traps that compromise brings. Teach me to 
love all the people in my life without letting 
them lead me back into the darkness. In Jesus' 
name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional 
by John & Johnny Baker re Psalm 31:3-4]  

ILLUSTRATIONS

   My mom used to share with me tons of 
motherly wisdom. When our team lost a ball game and I 
was feeling disappointed, she might say, "It 
doesn't matter if you win or lose; it's how you play 
the game." Or if I got frustrated because I 
couldn't follow the directions for assembling a model 
plane: "You can do anything you set your mind 
to. 
   But the clincher, the one she told me 
most often, dealt directly with my friends: "You 
are who you run with. Sometimes I wasn't sure 
if she was approving of my buddies or 
encouraging me to find better replacements. She probably 
wasn't sure either. What became clear, though, was 
the truth in her wisdom. 
   It's almost impossible to live the right 
life when you have the wrong friends. 
   Whether you're a kid, a tween, a 
teenager, a young adult, or middle-aged, you will 
become like your closest friends. Count on it. When 
we connect with another person, we become a 
conduit for their values, beliefs, and decisions. 
This isn't just from my mom - the Bible states 
this truth repeatedly. If you stick close to 
people who are wise, you'll become wiser. If you 
hang out with people who are godly, you're likely 
going to grow closer to God. If you become close 
friends with people who make good decisions, chances 
are you'll make better decisions too. 
   Today run with people who love God as 
much or more than you do. 
   Jesus, give me wisdom about who I choose 
to spend my time with and how and when to trust 
them. Bring me friends who make me more like you 
and empower me to be a blessing to them. [Daily 
Power by Craig Groeschel] 

   Years ago I made friends with a guy at my 
gym named Bart who has helped me change my body 
physically in more ways than I can count. I had worked 
out for most of my life, exercising faithfully 
for more than twenty years. But I also ate 
whatever I wanted. And by whatever, I mean anything 
with sugar or salt (and especially sugar and 
salt): donuts, cinnamon rolls, cake, ice cream, and 
chips and whatever was within reach that I could 
dip them in. 
   But I was one friend away from changing 
my "physical future. I noticed that Bait 
didn't work out much harder than I did, but he 
looked very different from me. He was ripped! I 
always attributed that to genetics, but Bait helped 
me see that diet is actually more important 
than exercise. Little by little, he helped me 
make small changes. First I added protein. Then I 
cut carbs. Then I added vitamins. Then I cut 
down on desserts. And together we tweaked my 
workouts. Over time, I became stronger and leaner, and 
I felt better. But more important, I was 
healthy, probably healthier than I'd ever been. 
   One friend.
   Too many changes to count.
   Do you have a few friends that make you 
better, people who see your potential? Think about 
it. Do your buddies at the gym make you better? 
Or do the friends in your support group help 
you grow? Do the people you work with make you 
sharper? Do the moms you run with make you stronger? 
   If not, decide to connect with someone 
new - someone who makes you better. 
   Lead me to the right person, Lord, who 
can help motivate, inspire, and propel me 
forward. Help me to be that person in someone else's 
life. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel re Proverbs 
19:20] 

   Someone said, "Show me your friends and 
you'll show me your future." This important truth 
draws on biblical wisdom, and I'm sure you've seen 
it in your life too. From past adventures I've 
shared in previous entries, you'll recall that 
friends of mine like Steven (his dad had the 
Playboys) and Stan (my accomplice in the debacle known 
as The Great Running Shorts Heist) weren't 
doing me any favors. And believe me, there were 
numerous others, such as frat brothers and tennis 
teammates from college, who weren't concerned in the 
least about my relationship with God. 
   Today, though, one concern about our 
friendships is summed up by a recent conversation I had 
with a college-aged woman from our church. She 
said, "I have over 700 Facebook friends, over 500 
people who regularly check my daily pics on 
Instagram, and almost 1,000 who follow me on Twitter. 
And yet I don't have anyone to grab coffee or go 
shopping with me. Despite how many people I know 
online, I'm, well, really lonely." 
   From my experience, when I'm lonely, I'm 
more susceptible to temptation. For example, I'm 
more likely to feel sorry for myself and justify 
eating donuts and not working out. But I don't 
always realize that's what I'm feeling until it's 
too late. After all, with all this constant 
connectivity, how could I be lonely? 
   Show me your friends - your real friends, 
not just virtual - and you'll show me your 
future. 
   Lord, I do feel lonely sometimes and know 
that I need to build deeper friendships with 
people who love and seek you as much as I do. Today 
point me toward someone I can befriend. [Daily 
Power by Craig Groeschel] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

The Company We Keep
   Abraham is uniquely introduced to us in 
Scripture as the friend of God. One day God told His 
friend Abraham that He wanted him to leave his life 
of paganism and worship of false gods, leave 
his family, pack his bags, and go. God 
effectively said, I want you and your wife, Sarah, to 
go to a certain place. You dont even know 
where it is. Ill reveal that to you later. But 
I want you to go. 
   Abraham obeyed - sort of. He did leave, 
which was a big step. And he did leave his family, 
which was a bigger step. But he took one family 
member along with him: his nephew Lot, who had a 
detrimental effect on his uncle. 
   We all know certain people who build us 
up spiritually when were around them. We 
come away feeling closer to the Lord and built up 
in our faith. But we also know people who pull 
us down spiritually when were around them. 
Lot was the kind of person who pulled Abraham 
down. 
   As 2 Timothy 2:22 says, Flee also 
youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, 
love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of 
a pure heart (NKJV). 
   Ive had the opportunity to meet and 
get to know a lot of wonderful, godly men and 
women who have impressed me deeply. And then 
Ive known other Christians who are always ticked 
off about something. Theyre always mad at 
someone. They remind me of Don Quixote, tilting at 
windmills. They must always have an adversary or a 
nemesis. I get very weary of that. 
   What about you? What kind of influence 
are you having on others? Are you a godly 
influence, or are you an ungodly influence? Are you 
building others up, or are you dragging them down? By 
Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com re James 2:23. 

EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF 
JESUS 

1st of 28: Divine Dining: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY 
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ 
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4 
4th of 28: Cared For: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds 
5th of 28: Saved: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI 
6th of 28: You Can Change: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo 
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc 
8th of 28 Our Holy Father: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XabXLEXsxbY 
9th of 28 Gifts of Service: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtuGZviodkA 
10th of 28 The Holy Spirit: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in89XVs4cGo 
Live ongoing series in progress.

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs