A Young Man Turns From Sinful Company to the Lightby sirrscott
13:20Proverbs 13:20
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Walking with wise people makes a person wise, while close companionship with fools brings ruin and destruction. The company kept shapes the mind, thoughts, habits, principles, conduct, character, and reputation, especially for children and youth whose characters are still being formed. This influence works silently and unconsciously, gradually bringing a person down to the level of the companions, and the downward pull is stronger than any upward lift, spreading like a contagious disease. Therefore the call is to choose companions who are wise, good, and God-fearing and to avoid worldly, frivolous, impure, and intemperate associates, examining whether associations strengthen moral and spiritual life. Instead of yielding to unholy influence, beholding Christ's goodness and character makes a person like Him and lifts above what is unholy, while a godly influence restrains evil and benefits others.
Companions Shape Character
He who walks closely with wise people becomes wise, while he who makes himself a close companion of fools comes to ruin and destruction. Evil associations weaken character and undermine principle, while helpful and godly company strengthens moral and spiritual life. Imitating those whose worldly and frivolous conduct shows weak spiritual understanding is to be refused, and the influence of Christ's character is to be chosen instead. The company kept shapes the mind, thoughts, feelings, habits, principles, conduct, character, and reputation. This is especially true for children and youth, whose developing minds and characters are being formed and whose associations help determine their usefulness in this life and their future destiny.
That shaping works silently and unconsciously, yet it deeply impresses the mind, planting doubt and unbelief or weaving virtue into character. By continued association a person gradually adopts the companions' thoughts, feelings, habits, and principles and is brought down to their level. To prefer ignorant and vicious companions over wise and good ones reveals defective character. Choosing companions who fear God restrains evil tendencies, while bad company and improper intimacies pollute the life, draw the affections from God, and can lead to a fatal spiritual fall.
Choosing evil companions leads step by step away from virtue into disobedience and dissipation, even into conduct once thought impossible to reach. The first step may seem harmless, accompanied by the false assumption that it will be easy to change course later. The downward pull is stronger than the upward pull, for frivolous companions pull a person down to their level more easily than he can lift them to wiser thoughts and conduct. Even those who leave home innocent and pure may be corrupted by school associations and sink to the level of companions of degraded morals. Association with vain, worldly companions spreads their influence like a contagious disease.
Present choices of friends fix character and determine usefulness in this life and destiny in this life and the next. Evil associations weaken moral principles, deteriorate character, and draw people away from God. The effect reaches beyond oneself to impress others who are easily shaped, so wrong intimacies and harmful counsel can imperil not only one's own soul but the souls of others influenced by example.
Choosing Godly Associations
The verse calls for choosing wise, good and helpful companions who fear God and obey the gospel, because walking with such people leads to sound thought, principle and wisdom. It calls for avoiding worldly, frivolous, irreligious, impure, skeptical and intemperate associates, including those of lax morals and coarse character and those who smoke and drink, because close association with foolish or corrupt people brings ruin and fixes a destructive character and destiny. Associations and recreations are to be examined to see whether they strengthen moral and spiritual life and lead to pure thought and action, choosing only those who seek God rather than worldly approval. Vanity and worldliness seen in others are not to be imitated, but taken as a warning to guard against those traits and to follow a better example instead.
Parents must guard children from harmful companions and unsafe situations and guide them toward wholesome activities and company, even when doing so may offend neighbors. They must carefully choose their children's society and teach them to avoid vain, worldly company, whose influence spreads like a contagious disease. They must not assume their children can resist harmful influence, since associating with people of lax morals and coarse character can teach and spread corrupt habits and leave the young degraded or ruined.
Students and young people should be especially watchful because school associations can corrupt, so that even those who leave home innocent and pure may be corrupted and sink to the level of companions of degraded morals. Frivolous companions pull a person down to their level more easily than that person can lift them up, so young people should choose companions whose words and behavior show decorum. Placing oneself among those who understand is the way to learn and to become useful.
Instead of unholy influence, the verse points to seeking Christ's presence and beholding and studying His goodness, love and character, which makes a person like Him and lifts above what is unholy and unlovely. Becoming wise and developing a perfect character require effort and strict watchfulness over self. One who is vulnerable to appetite and temper must not rely on personal strength or remain among harmful influences, but must seek the help of earnest prayer and the society of those who love and fear God. Because the influence a person carries affects those around and can impress others who are easily shaped, the verse teaches cultivating a godly, truth-filled influence that restrains evil tendencies, weaves virtue into character, benefits others, and reaches beyond this life to the next.
Walking with wise people makes a person wise, while close companionship with fools brings ruin and destruction.
The company kept shapes the mind, thoughts, habits, principles, conduct, character, and reputation, especially for children and youth whose characters are still being formed.
This influence works silently and unconsciously, gradually bringing a person down to the level of the companions, and the downward pull is stronger than any upward lift, spreading like a contagious disease.
Therefore the call is to choose companions who are wise, good, and God-fearing and to avoid worldly, frivolous, impure, and intemperate associates, examining whether associations strengthen moral and spiritual life.
Instead of yielding to unholy influence, beholding Christ's goodness and character makes a person like Him and lifts above what is unholy, while a godly influence restrains evil and benefits others.
Companions Shape Character
He who walks closely with wise people becomes wise, while he who makes himself a close companion of fools comes to ruin and destruction. Evil associations weaken character and undermine principle, while helpful and godly company strengthens moral and spiritual life. Imitating those whose worldly and frivolous conduct shows weak spiritual understanding is to be refused, and the influence of Christ's character is to be chosen instead. The company kept shapes the mind, thoughts, feelings, habits, principles, conduct, character, and reputation. This is especially true for children and youth, whose developing minds and characters are being formed and whose associations help determine their usefulness in this life and their future destiny.
That shaping works silently and unconsciously, yet it deeply impresses the mind, planting doubt and unbelief or weaving virtue into character. By continued association a person gradually adopts the companions' thoughts, feelings, habits, and principles and is brought down to their level. To prefer ignorant and vicious companions over wise and good ones reveals defective character. Choosing companions who fear God restrains evil tendencies, while bad company and improper intimacies pollute the life, draw the affections from God, and can lead to a fatal spiritual fall.
Choosing evil companions leads step by step away from virtue into disobedience and dissipation, even into conduct once thought impossible to reach. The first step may seem harmless, accompanied by the false assumption that it will be easy to change course later. The downward pull is stronger than the upward pull, for frivolous companions pull a person down to their level more easily than he can lift them to wiser thoughts and conduct. Even those who leave home innocent and pure may be corrupted by school associations and sink to the level of companions of degraded morals. Association with vain, worldly companions spreads their influence like a contagious disease.
Present choices of friends fix character and determine usefulness in this life and destiny in this life and the next. Evil associations weaken moral principles, deteriorate character, and draw people away from God. The effect reaches beyond oneself to impress others who are easily shaped, so wrong intimacies and harmful counsel can imperil not only one's own soul but the souls of others influenced by example.
Choosing Godly Associations
The verse calls for choosing wise, good and helpful companions who fear God and obey the gospel, because walking with such people leads to sound thought, principle and wisdom. It calls for avoiding worldly, frivolous, irreligious, impure, skeptical and intemperate associates, including those of lax morals and coarse character and those who smoke and drink, because close association with foolish or corrupt people brings ruin and fixes a destructive character and destiny. Associations and recreations are to be examined to see whether they strengthen moral and spiritual life and lead to pure thought and action, choosing only those who seek God rather than worldly approval. Vanity and worldliness seen in others are not to be imitated, but taken as a warning to guard against those traits and to follow a better example instead.
Parents must guard children from harmful companions and unsafe situations and guide them toward wholesome activities and company, even when doing so may offend neighbors. They must carefully choose their children's society and teach them to avoid vain, worldly company, whose influence spreads like a contagious disease. They must not assume their children can resist harmful influence, since associating with people of lax morals and coarse character can teach and spread corrupt habits and leave the young degraded or ruined.
Students and young people should be especially watchful because school associations can corrupt, so that even those who leave home innocent and pure may be corrupted and sink to the level of companions of degraded morals. Frivolous companions pull a person down to their level more easily than that person can lift them up, so young people should choose companions whose words and behavior show decorum. Placing oneself among those who understand is the way to learn and to become useful.
Instead of unholy influence, the verse points to seeking Christ's presence and beholding and studying His goodness, love and character, which makes a person like Him and lifts above what is unholy and unlovely. Becoming wise and developing a perfect character require effort and strict watchfulness over self. One who is vulnerable to appetite and temper must not rely on personal strength or remain among harmful influences, but must seek the help of earnest prayer and the society of those who love and fear God. Because the influence a person carries affects those around and can impress others who are easily shaped, the verse teaches cultivating a godly, truth-filled influence that restrains evil tendencies, weaves virtue into character, benefits others, and reaches beyond this life to the next.