Tell me with whom you walk

 

(2 minutes read) 

The popular saying “tell me with whom you walk, and I tell you who you are” leads us to mistakenly believe that if we walk with considered bad company, we might become a bad person but if we walk in good company, we will become a good person. This understanding has stuck in the subconscious of the church inducing us to approach the good people to become better and to distant ourselves from the bad ones not to be contaminated. However, this understanding is very much contrary to Jesus Christ teachings!

Jesus on several occasions was seen in the company of people with bad reputation, amongst others he walked with disrepute women, visited the house of the corrupt men, and engaged with delusional outcasts. For that, the religious of those days censured him and the religious of today censure those who do the same. The issue, however, is not really in whose company we walk but who influences who? Jesus influenced for the better all those with whom he walked!

If in our network of friendships and colleagues we only have the saints, when and how are we going to testify about Jesus to the sinners? As salvationists we cannot be prejudiced, we must follow Jesus without avoiding people on the way, walking with all to influence them positively. If we remain inside the saltshaker, we will season nobody.

We certainly have family and friends who are disobedient to the Word of God, and therefore we have the privilege and responsibility to approach them, walk side by side, and allow the Holly Spirit in His time to convince them of sin, righteousness  and judgment.

“Tell me with whom you walk, and I tell you who you are!” If you walk with all without discriminating, with the good and the bad, and you try to influence them all for better, then you are like Jesus!

• With how many “pagans” do you walk with?
• How are you trying to influence them positively?

(Embracing saltiness, Mathew 5:13  /  Jesus seasoning the sinners, Mark 2:16-17)