Keep Good Company

a devotional by Pastor Ryan Young

I love having people in my life who will tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. If we are honest with ourselves, it’s nice to have people in our lives who will just agree with whatever we say and whatever we do. Yet it’s not the healthiest. We need people in our lives to tell us when we are wrong, and do so in a loving manner.

So who are the right people to have in our lives and speak in to our lives? People who will give us Biblical wisdom as opposed to those who will merely give us humanly advice. Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” In my life, the people who helped shape my walk were those who lived this verse out. Sharpening is something that happens when friction is created between both sets of iron. In the same way, sharpening one another sometimes comes by means of having friction between one another. 

No one likes being told that they are wrong. There are instances when we need to hear it though. Allow the people who will challenge you in your walk to take a prominent role in your life. Spend more time with them. Let them speak truth in to your life, even if you don’t want to hear it. The Bible tells us, “Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals” 1 Cor 15:33. Be around people who you know will help you make good decisions and honor the Lord in all you do.