You can choose your friends….

Proverbs 12:

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

And we should choose them wisely, for what makes them great is also what makes them dangerous.  We know this!! But do we make the best chooses?

.... The story of Tim & Paul.  Tim was wanting Paul to return to the "old Paul".  As the story unfolded, Paul had changed and knew that he did not need Tim's acceptance anymore and wanted to be accepted by God..  He knew that the friends he had before were not the friends he needed to have now...

So from this story we need to examine who are friends really are...

So who are your friends? 

First of all your Friends can be your spouse, your family, or whoever you enjoy being around.

Do your friends pressure you into doing things?

Do you have to be someone you are not when you are around them?

Do your friends always agree with you?

Do your friends have your back?  Or are they putting a knife in it?

Are your friends people that you would bring home to mom or dad or how about your grandparents.

God does give us insight on our friends

Proverbs 12:

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

But even those who we think are Friends can seem to be concerned about you, but that maybe just a smoke screen.

Job had good friends or at least he thought at first.

1.        Job 2:11

 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

By the sounds of this they seem to be really concerned about him.  But it does not last for long.  His so called friends keep contributing his present circumstance to having had sinned.  Even though they knew him they were sure that he was not as perfect as he made himself out to be.  But Job was not going to give into them.  

Job 27

27 And Job continued his discourse:^(A)

² “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,^(B)
the Almighty,^(C) who has made me taste bitterness of soul,^(D)
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God^(E) in my nostrils,
⁴ my lips will not speak wickedness,
and my tongue will utter no deceit.^(F)
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.^(G)
6 I will maintain my righteousness^(H) and never let go of it;
my conscience^(I) will not reproach me as long as I live.^”  

In the end Job was confronted by God to which God showed Job that he was not all that He thought he was.  God pointed out to Job his short comings.  God then told Job that he was angry at the three friends for how they had portrayed Him. 

Epilogue

⁷ After the Lord had said these things to Job^(K), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,^(L) because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.^”  

You see they were suggesting that God was doing this to Job because he had sinned.  The friends did not see the test or understand the spiritual battle going on in the background.  They did not understand that god has a Permissive Will and a Perfect will.  The Permissive will is that which allows us our "free will" but also allows us to see His "Perfect will" if we seek to obey Him in these times of making chooses. 

 

His friends were on the wrong path.  They were not very good friends.  They wanted to discourage Job instead of encourage Him.  They wanted to pressure him into believing that he must have sinned to end up in this situation. 

How often do we do this?  Judge someone before we have all the info. 

 So how should I choose my friends?

Look for these things;

            1) Does their yes mean yes and their no mean no?

            2) Could you video tape what they were doing and know you could show it on this screen or any other.  If not just maybe you should stay away from them.

            3) Do they joke around all the time referencing or doing crude things.  If so stay clear of them.

            4) Look to see if their life shows thanksgiving.

            5) Make sure they are not greedy.

For remember "acceptance has the power to persuade!" 

Paul shares with the church in Ephesus these words about how we should conduct ourselves which in turn would mean how our friends should also conduct their selves.

Ephesians 5

³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,^(F) or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,^(G) because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk^(H) or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.^{(I) 5} For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater^(J)—has any inheritance^(K) in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^{[a](L) 6} Let no one deceive you^(M) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath^(N) comes on those who are disobedient.^{(O) 7} Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once^(P) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light^{(Q) 9} (for the fruit^(R) of the light consists in all goodness,^(S) righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.^{(T) 11} Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,^(U) but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light^(V) becomes visible, ¹⁴ for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper,^(W)
rise from the dead,^(X)
and Christ will shine on you.”^(Y)