Friends Can Make You or Break You Part III

Applying it to your life

James 1:23-25 “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Simply reading this post and laying it aside is not going to benefit you; simply reading the Bible and then laying it aside is not going to benefit you. You need to apply it to your life. Here are some questions designed to give you insight into your own life and friendships. Be honest with yourself. Write your answers down and think about them for a few minutes.

• Do you have any friends like Jonathan?
• Can you name a friend who you can talk to about your relationship with God?
• When you are discouraged or upset who do you talk to?
• Do they point you to God?
• Would people view you as a friend like Jonathan?
• Can your friends count on you for encouragement?
• When a friend comes to you with a problem do you point them to God?
• Do you have any friends like Jonadab?
• Do you have friends that encourage sin, bad attitudes, or rebellion?
• When you are around certain friends does your attitude change for the worse?
• If you could see through God’s eyes would you be pleased with the way you act around your friends?
• Would anyone consider you a Jonadab?
• Do you criticize those whose moral standards are higher than your own?

Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

I encourage you to find a Jonathan, a friend that will draw you closer to God. I also encourage to find someone you can be a Jonathon to. I also encourage you to re-consider any friendships you have with any Jonadabs. We have to live in the world and many of our friends and relatives are of the world, but we have to be careful not to become influenced by the world. It is something we have to constantly be aware of because if we are not on guard then the next thing you know we are succumbing to peer pressure. Oh, and regardless what you think, peer pressure is not just an adolescent thing. Peer pressure affects all age groups and transcends all social classes. It sounds harsh, but just look back at Proverbs 13:20 "...but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."