A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. Proverbs 27:19 (TLB)
In an ironic twist, our choice of friends reveals our character, and our choice of friends defines our character. In order to have relational transformation, we need to develop our character while we develop our friendships. At the same time, we need to avoid people of poor character and choose those who will help us move in a positive direction. In this devotion, we’ll consider people whose character we want to avoid. In our lesson, we were confronted with five types of people who will not lead us toward relational transformation:
- Lazy people: In some of the early churches, people assumed Jesus would return soon and therefore sat back waiting, doing nothing. The Apostle Paul wrote to these churches and encouraged the people to be industrious and tell others about Jesus. It’s a good thing, because Jesus hasn’t returned yet and the world needs to hear about him!
- Angry people: Proverbs reminds us that angry people destroy relationships and hurt others.
- Immoral people: Immorality is prevalent in our world, which does not accept God’s wisdom for life and relationships. Sometimes people in the church are misled and follow the ways of the world rather than obeying God.
- Greedy people: God’s heart is generous, and he wants us to be as well.
- Unbelieving people: We want to build our faith. We should avoid people who will tear it down.
As you move out in relational transformation, be aware of these types of people who will derail your progress. Move on from them toward those who will carry you forward.