Be On Guard

Good Morning,

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

This statement by Paul over 2,000 years ago is just as true today as it was then, maybe more so. I say it that way because "bad company" types have figured out even more ways to infiltrate the lives of people with "good character" to affect what they do, how they feel, and, worst of all, their relationship with God.

So, you say you don't go to places where there might be bad company, right? Okay. I'll go along with that. But, well, how about some of the web sites you visit? How about those the people you might interact with in some "innocent" chat room or other? And those computer video games? How about all of that?

You see, with our electronic ways of being with people, even though not physically being together, we have even more ways of "keeping company" than we ever did. And it all seems so innocent.

Now, having said that, I'm not saying that we should never talk with people online or that we should never go into some chat room or other (although you know what places you ought NOT to be in!) or even play some game online. Not at all. As a matter of fact, some of these places are great places to evangelize and let people know about God and Jesus Christ. Used for the right reasons, we can do really good things. The key thing on about all of this is that we need to be careful of where we are and with whom we interact, making sure that if some are what would be considered "bad company" that we do not spend enough time with them that it would, as Paul wrote, corrupt our good character.

I guess this has come today because when I read this verse I said to myself, "Well, this doesn't apply to me now because I don't go places where there would be bad influences on me. No bars or race tracks or any other places where I might be influenced adversely." Uh, oh! When we think that way we are put off our guard and then we are even MORE liable to be influenced without being cognizant of it. You see, I am online. I occasionally do go to some chat places and do surf the web from time to time. So, I surely AM as susceptible to adverse influences as is someone who might go places physically.

Bottom line: Be Careful!

Don't be led into spending time with people...either live and in person or online...who might be that bad company we read of in today's verse. We all need to be on our guard...all the time.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David