Keeping Good Company

"Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don't go along with them." -Proverbs 1:10

I'm sure you've heard the saying, you are what you eat. Well, you could say the same is true for the type of company we keep.

I've noticed in my own life that if I hang out with someone long enough, I may start to develop some of their characteristics.  For instance, if I'm hanging out with my husband a lot, I might get to sounding a little more southern! 

But the Bible makes clear mention to be careful who we hang out with, and to chose our friends wisely.  "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs 12:26  Do you hang out with people who build you up?  Do they have characteristics you admire, or do they encourage you in the right direction? If so, you are blessed!  If not, perhaps you haven't struck gold yet.

I remember of a time in my life that was very lonely.  That was when God was working out some things in my heart.  But then, as God kept leading me, I found my way to some great relationships.  I know some of these friendships will be there through thick and thin - they already been proven!  

When times get tough, you need positive, God-fearing people who can help you along the way.  Church is a great place to foster these relationships, although it's not the only place.  We need to remember that the type of company we keep directly relates to the type of person we will be.  This doesn't excuse us to reach out to those who need a hand up or who may not know Jesus yet.  But we also shouldn't have too many of those types of relationships so we don't get pulled back down.

Are you hanging out with the right crowd? May God continue to bring you authentic friendships that are lasting, and may He grow those relationships into fruitfulness to impact the lives of others.

Hearing God’s Voice

"Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." -Proverbs 3:6

It was Monday morning, during our staff bible study time.  My dad asked, “How do you hear God?”  Out came a myriad of responses.

“A thought pops into my mind of someone, and that’s how I know I’m supposed to pray for them.”

“I get a sense of His Spirit, then I get a word or a phrase.” 

“I hear Him when I’m driving in the car.  It mostly comes in pieces throughout the day, but then all the pieces link together to form a picture.” 

“When I’m talking to someone, I get a certain emotion.  It’s like God gives me empathy for that person and I know what to pray on their behalf.” 

Have you ever thought about the fact that we all hear God differently? 

Because each of us is wired uniquely, with different gifts and talents, we will not all hear God the same way.  God speaks to each of us in a way that we can understand Him, often through our gifts or love language.

Learning to hear God’s voice is a unique process of reading the word, perceiving God around us, and “opening our ears”, so to speak, to be able to hear what He’s saying to us.  It took me a while to learn to hear God, because I didn’t know what was me and what was Him.  But, after we learn God’s character and how He operates, through reading the Word and being discipled, we begin to discern His voice from ours. 

Are you able to hear God’s voice in your life?  Seek this out – it is the most valuable attribute of a Christian – to be able to hear the voice of our heavenly Father in our lives.