One Tragic Mistake (Choose Your Friends Carefully)
Jeff woke up one morning a totally different person than when he had fallen asleep the night before. Why? Because that morning, Jeff was starting his senior year of high school. Jeff, his mother screamed for him to get out of bed. Jeff slowly arises from sleeps grasp and heads into the shower. You'd think this guy would be a little more excited than he is. I mean, after all, the guy has finally made it to his senior year. I mean, this is the year that he is going to be the big dog on campus. I mean, this is his year to reign supreme. What in the world is wrong with him?
Simple, Jeff's closest two friends graduated last year. Jeff once again finds himself alone, having to find new friends. He slowly gets out of the shower and puts his clothes on. It's obvious that something is bothering this guy. "Jeff, are you all right?" his mother asks. "Yea, mom, I'm OK?" He kisses his mother goodbye, gets into his car, and drives away, never to return the same again. Why? Because on this first day of his senior year, he makes one gigantic mistake. He gets too close to some guys who are nothing but bad news. You would think by a person's senior year that they would know who was and wasn't the right person to hang around with. You'd think that he would know better than to become best friends with guys who drink and do drugs and who knows what else. You'd think that Jeff would have remembered the words of his dad who said, “Jeff, be careful who you hang around with because son, you know you will become exactly like the people you hang around with.”
No, Jeff forgot. His senior year, the one-year everything was supposed to work out great. It never happened. Suddenly Jeff's personality began to change. His attitude stunk, and he began to talk back to his parents. Slowly but surely, Jeff began to be less and less reliable. He would come home late for dinner and break curfew on the weekends. He began to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and it almost broke his mom and dad's hearts when he came home stoned and drunk. What happened to their son, they thought? What did they do wrong? Little by little, Jeff grew farther and farther away from his family, and little by little, he destroyed his own life.
My brother Jeff made one tragic mistake during his senior year of High School. He forgot that a person becomes exactly like the people they hang around with. We all know that it's true. It's just that it's so easy to forget, especially when we want to fit in and be accepted. But, if we aren't extremely careful about the people we hang around with, there is a 90% greater chance that our lives will probably get extremely messed up. This school year, stop and evaluate all your friends and see if they are the type of people that are good for you or bad for you.
Here's a great test to put your friends through:1. Do they love Jesus and put Jesus first in all that they say and do?2. Do they live for Jesus and challenge me in my faith?3. Do they lead me to do things that I know are right or wrong? Be Honest!4. Do they care about me?
1. Look up Proverbs 13:20. What does this verse tell you about the friends you choose?
2. What does 1 Corinthians 15:33 tell you about bad company?
3. Go back up to the list of questions above and write down your five best friends’ names. Then one by one, answer the questions and see how your friends do.
4. Talk to God about your friendship. Talk to Him about your insecurities and fears. Pray for each one of your friends by name, and pray that God will help you to be the type of friend you need to be.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
