We become like the people we hang around

1 Corinthians 15:33 warns "Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits." The apostle Paul understood that we tend to become like the people we spend the most time with. I thought of this biblical truth recently while reading a business blog that promoted the same idea. The author of that blog wrote

• If you hang around with five confident people, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five intelligent people, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five millionaires, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five idiots, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five broke people, you will be the sixth.

The same principle is true for those of us in church leadership.

• If you hang around with five leaders who are growing, you will be the sixth growing leader.
• If you hang around with five leaders who are always complaining about their churches, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five Christians who are growing in their faith, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five Christians who hold to sound theology, you will be the sixth.
• If you hang around with five Christians who are willing to compromise their faith, you will be the sixth.

We could go on and on. If evil company corrupts good habits, then it is also true that good company promotes good habits. Either way, the people we spend time with are going to have an impact on us for good or evil. Therefore, it is critical to spend time with people who are going to help us grow and achieve the vision God has given us.