INFLUENCES (cont.)

Proverbs 1:15-18 (ESV)

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, 16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, 18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.

The Principle of Influence: You tend to become like the people you spend time with. That means you will tend to sow what they sow, and therefore reap what they reap.

These Principles are “amoral”, meaning they are neither good nor bad, but can be used for either. So you in fact choose to fill your life with positive or negative influences in your choice of friends, in the places you go such as to Church or to bars, in your choices of entertainment such as the music you listen to, TV shows, internet, books and magazines, your heroes and role models, … the list goes on and on.

But the thing about a principle is that it cannot be changed or avoided. Like the principle of gravity, ignore it at your own peril. If you fill your life with interactions with idiots, fools, dishonest, and ungodly people, then you will end up like them. You will be at heart and in mind what they are, and you will suffer the consequences they suffer. So before you choose influencers and role models, consider their end. Are you certain you want to follow their path?

Now, like a bird in danger, you have been shown the “net”, the trap laid for you (vs. 17); you have been warned. The choice is yours, and the consequences are on you. So choose wisely.

The good news is that the amoral principle also means that you are equally free to choose what is good, godly, happy, blessed, honest, and positive in your life. You can freely choose good friends, uplifting experiences, entertainment that builds up your heart and mind, role models that inspire and motivate you to be a better person… this list is also endless..

And you have God’s promise that you will reap the good that you sow.

~Johnny

8-16-17