It’s contagious (2)

The kind of person you are is reflected in the friends you pick. So if your life is unproductive and stagnant, look at the people you’ve surrounded yourself with. Friendships, good and bad, indicate the direction you’re going. “Whoever walks with wise people will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will suffer” (Proverbs 13:20 GWT). Misery loves company, so steer clear of negative thinkers. It’s better to travel alone than spend your life listening to people who drag you down. When you come into agreement with the right people, you “can accomplish more than twice as much” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 TLB). Author John Mason wrote, “The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. The right friends and associations bring out the original in you. You know the kind of people I’m talking about. After you’ve been with them, you find yourself less critical, full of faith and with a vision for the future. The devil doesn’t…use strangers to deter or stop you…your friends will either stretch your vision or choke your dream. As you grow in God, your associations will change. Some friends won’t want you to go on; they’ll want you to stay where they are. But as Edwin Louis Cole observed, ‘When you let someone else create your world for you…they always make it too small.’ Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. Respect those whom God has connected to you to help you. God cares for people through people…and wise is the person who fortifies their life with the right friendships.”