Devotional Thoughts: Wise or Fool?

This nugget of wisdom might need to hang on the wall of every young person?

The Bible says this in more than one way:

1 Corinthians 15:33, “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Who I spend time with and who I let into my life really matters. It’s important we spend time with people we aspire to be like. It’s also important to create space in our lives to lead people. Who are you leading? Who are you following? Will this take you where you should be going?

If you”re up on a chair I can easily pull you down. If you’re up on a chair it’s much harder to pull someone up to be with you. It’s so easy to pull someone down but much harder to lift someone up. It is the same in our relationships.

The complainer can easily change the dynamics of a group. The gossip does the same thing. We can feel dirty around these kind of people who pull others down and many of them do not realize what they’re doing. We feel a little lower having spent time with them. My daughter is working in a factory. The gossip and cursing is unreal. They’re oppressing one another and pulling each other down. The drama is stressful. She forgave someone the other day and changed the atmosphere! Forgiveness is much harder than complaining or slandering. She has no desire to see these people outside of work because they’re the kind that pull others down.

One crisis in our communities is some people don’t know anyone who’s wise. Their network is all unhealthy people. Christian, it’s our duty and calling to step into places that are full of fools to see who is seeking God. Some will try to pull down on us but others will be pulled up. We have the armor of God to protect us. the fool can only become wise when the wise open up their circle of influence.

Good soul searching questions today are:

Am I around people who are wise and lift me up?

Am I acting like the wise or the fool?

Who can I pull up and encourage today?

Who have I pulled down that I might need to seek forgiveness from?

When have I been a fool? When have I been wise?

Who do I need to spend more time with so I can learn from them? This might mean I read their book, listen to their podcasts and watch their video teachings. Yes, this counts!

Let’s walk through life wisely and carefully. We are fragile and can be pulled down, especially the young who are still coming into their identities.