Testimony Tuesday: How My Associations with Certain People Have Negatively Impacted Me

Sharing my experience and why you should be more intentional about the company you keep.

Mr. Peprah Photography

WHAT I’M WEARING:

Blazer: Express (now on SALE) ; Sweater: Vince, try this or this ; Skirt: Target, try this or this ; Shoes: Banana Republic; love these or these ; Earrings: Fully Covered Still Fly

I’ve been having a re-occuring conversation with the Lord lately about associations, and He has been showing me through His Spirit how important it is to be intentional about (1) the kind of person I am, and (2) the kind of people I associate with. Walk with me as I endeavor to break down the revelations I have received through the scriptures and through my experiences in life.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV

In the book of Corinthians, Apostle Paul speaks to the church at Corinth concerning false teachers who come into the church sharing a false gospel. He was warning the believers to steer clear of these people because they don’t allow you to pursue holiness, and they lead you off the path of righteousness. But as the scriptures often have it, this verse could also mean that the company you keep  can also destroy your character.

I recall a time I lacked discernment and I was very close to this one person who was,( said matter- of- factly), bad company. My mother often warned me about this friend, and told me I shouldn’t be friends with this kind of person. I had no idea at the time, why she would say such a thing. So I ignored her and continued with the friendship. Years later, after God opened my eyes to the destructive character of the person, I ended the friendship.

The friendship caused me a lot of issues. My friendship with this person caused me not to be free or relate with certain beneficial people; I’ve lost the trust of others, and mistakenly introduced said friend to many people I love and care about.

My experience with such a friend opened my eyes to realize it isn’t wise to trust people so quickly; and it is important to test the spirit of a person before fostering relationships with him/her. It also taught me the importance of discerning the motives behind people who seek to get close to you. Some people pretend they are transparent with you, only to get you to be transparent with them and share intimate areas or secrets of your life with them. But when you ask God to reveal the heart of a person to you, you will soon find their intentions aren’t pure and they rather are sent to discredit or destroy your character.

It’s been said  by the Pharisees in the Bible that Jesus was a friend of sinners. And they were correct in their inference. But Jesus’ intention to befriend sinners wasn’t to join them in sin, or to endorse their sinful ways. Rather it was to deliver them from sin. So unless you have what it takes to deliver people from their sinful ways, unless your intention is to draw people to Christ- you as a believer should have no business befriending said kind of people. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t be friendly, but to entrust said kind person to be your friend is dangerous to your character. When you are truly living a holy and righteous life, you wouldn’t even have anything in common with a sinner to be able to walk with them. Because as you attempt to correct them in love, they will always be offended and eventually stay away from you.

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3

I often see people quickly befriending people on social media just because their life appears to be attractive or shiny. I even made this mistake once, befriending someone who I deemed to be trustworthy and loving. I exhausted many days praying with this woman, and even sent her money during her times of need. But when I corrected something she was doing that was contrary to the Word of God, she cut me off and shared subliminal posts about me on social media.

What’s interesting about my friendship with said woman is that I know that others were weary of me as a result of my connection to her. I didn’t think much of it while we were friends, but immediately after the friendship ended- I understood that I needed to be more careful of the people I allow into my life just because I admire what they display on social media.

As an influencer/content creator, even affiliations with companies and brands can destroy your character. As an ordained minister and Christian lifestyle blogger, there are companies I would never work with, even if they paid me millions of dollars. For example, I could never be associated with liquor brands, lingerie brands, or sex pleasure companies. You may not understand why, but I truly understand that to whom much is given, much is required. Once I accepted the call into ministry and got anointed for the work, there were worldly things I had to give up for good.  I chose to become holiness unto the LORD. God didn’t make me free to indulge in anything. He made me free to be a bondservant to Him.

I share this to encourage you to be more intentional about the company you keep, and the people you call friends. Not everyone connection will be a blessing. Some will be a lesson, and others will be completely disastrous to your character and your opportunities.