What do you want to be when you grow up? I’d imagine that almost everyone every born has been asked that question. The lofty dreams of youth bring such responses as; an astronaut, an athlete, a teacher and the list goes on.
The reality is that we become what we surround ourselves with. I’m reminded of a quote for which I can’t find it’s origin but it goes like this;
Show me your friends and I will show you your future.
Because we don’t understand the significance of the friends we choose, the lofty dreams of youth frequently yields to the cynicism of disappointed adulthood. Spending time with the right kind of people may be the single biggest factor in determining where we end up in life.
The Apostle Paul issued a warning about this when he said, ”
Bad company corrupts good character. – 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV” We simply must learn to pick the right kind of friends! Even good people will cave to peer pressure and make choices they would never have made on their own. Picking the wrong friends can bring heartache and disappointment that could have been avoided.
Picking the right friends can make a huge difference when the bumps of life come our way. We need friends who encourage us as we navigate those bumps but we also need friends that will challenge us to allow those bumps to change us.
Parents have an obligation to help their children pick the right friends. Failure to fulfill this parental responsibility can doom children to a life full of sorrow for both the child and the parents.
Learn how to pick the right friends. Go ahead and be selective, maybe even exclusive, because in the end – your future is determined by the friends you have now.