The company you keep is number one in the hierarchy of factors that can influence your destiny. You might have heard people say there are people you must meet and people you must miss in life’s journey. Meeting the wrong people can bring misfortune, but connecting with the right set of people often leads to peace, joy, and greatness.
Various texts in the Bible clearly establish that the company you keep can either make or mar your destiny. Numerous destinies have been ruined through bad associations, and many have attained greatness because of godly and beneficial associations.
I often say this: if life becomes unprogressive continuously for five years, check the company you keep. More than likely, you are in the wrong company, which can be a wrong vehicle that may derail you from your destination.
The Bible makes us understand that “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). This clearly shows that no matter how foolish a man could be, his association with the wise will have a positive impact on him. On the contrary, walking with fools will have negative effects, leading to destruction. Therefore, finding yourself in the right company brings progress.
Numerous people are operating far below God’s expectations for their lives because they have been wrongly positioned among those who are cancerous to their destinies. Many who are destined to be eagles, according to God’s plan, are unable to soar because they are in the company of chicken-like brethren. The eagle’s anointing divinely deposited in their lives cannot function because ungodly and unprofitable associations have crippled the wings of their destinies.
Isaiah was a prophet, but for years, he couldn’t see the Lord because he was dwelling among a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5). He eventually realized this in the year that King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1). Just like Isaiah so many believers who are prophets by calling are currently running after other prophets to find solutions to their problems, simply because they do not belong to a group of believers who will sharpen their iron for their prophetic callings to be made manifest. The Bible tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). The company you keep should be a catalyst to the gifts of God in your life. Therefore, it is wise to dissociate from any association that is not adding value and bringing the best out of one’s life.
Moreover, the company you keep determines the hunger you sustain in life. Let no one deceive you; there’s no way you can sustain the hunger for holiness, righteousness, and spiritual growth when the people you walk with are those who do not fear God and hunger after the things of God. Every exploit in the kingdom is born by hunger. The day you begin to develop a hunger for souls, your focus will shift from pursuing mundane things to making efforts to advance the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, if you keep company with those who only thirst and hunger after the things of the world, the little hunger you have toward advancing the kingdom of God will evaporate.
Beloved, the mystery of association is deep, and anyone who trivializes it does so to the detriment of their destiny. The Lord knows the association we keep has tremendous effects on our destinies. As a result, in His Wisdom, whenever He intends to change people’s stories positively, He connects them to a set of people that will have positive impacts on their lives, and sometimes, He makes them walk alone to trust Him for a change of story.
Abraham was a man the Lord helped greatly, and he was elevated beyond his dreams. However, the Lord had to detach him from the wrong people he had been living with. The Bible records that the Lord said to him, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee” (Genesis 12:1). This instruction was so crucial because Abraham was with those who chose to make a transit point a destination. His father took him and a few of his brethren to go to Canaan, but unfortunately, when they got to Haran, they dwelt there and made the place their destination. Eventually, Abraham’s father, Terah, died in Haran.
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So, the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.”
Genesis 11:31-32
For years, Abraham and his family settled in Haran without the hope of pressing further to Canaan. They have made Haran their country, a place that was meant to be their transit point. The reason for this is not stated in the Bible, but we know pressing further to one’s destination requires passion, courage, and discipline. Besides, in Haran, people focus on acquiring material possessions, but progressing to Canaan is a journey of becoming what God wants one to become. While it may be pleasing to humans to have material possessions, God’s desire for us is beyond having material possessions. His primary desire is for us to “become,” and not to have, because when you “become,” you will definitely have. This was why He told Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). God is still in the business of making people, but that requires not settling down in Haran (transit point). You must continue your journey by faith to Canaan.
Many are currently dwelling in Haran, like Abraham and his brethren, because they have found little comfort, and the company they keep is not helping them to summon the courage to persist until God’s desires in their hearts become fulfilled. These people have dreams in their hearts while growing up, but they get to a point in their lives and settle down without the hope and courage of fulfilling their dreams. I have met several people like that who had great dreams while growing up, but as time went by, they became complacent and lacked the passion and discipline to remain resolute in pursuing their God-given dreams.
For God to help Abraham, he told him you must leave your brethren who lacked the passion, courage, and discipline to make it to their destinations. Obviously, a complete separation from those not passionate and disciplined about their pursuits was required for Abraham to attain the greatness the Lord had in mind. This is because attaining greatness is not easy since there are many obstacles you must overcome. Through experience, I have discovered that walking alone is better than walking with those who carry negative energy that will sap the little strength one has with their words of discouragement. For this reason, the Lord told Abraham. “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
Still, Abraham couldn’t see the promised land until he got separated from Lot because while he was with Lot, they focused on having possessions to the extent that the land in which they were dwelling together could not sustain them, for their possessions were too great that they were not able to remain together (Gen 13:6). Beloved, please pay attention to this: if the people you walk with, solely focus on having material possessions, chances are that you may not fully manifest your destiny because your focus may shift from God to ephemeral things and that may prevent you from following God’s leading to your promised land, where He purposes to make you great. Therefore, a thorough assessment of the company you keep is crucial if you desire to see God’s glory manifest in your life. Frankly speaking, any association that is not bringing the best out of you and helping you to fulfill your destiny is a wrong association, no matter what you derive from such an association.
However, do not build a wall between you and those who are not adding value and bringing the best out of your life. Everyone the Lord brings your way is a potential destiny helper, but you must be filled with wisdom to discern who to get closer to per season. God may use your greatest enemy today to bless and connect you to great people tomorrow. Therefore, be wise to discern everyone’s mission/assignment in your life. This way, you will know who to relate with per season.
In conclusion, the company you keep determines the outcomes of your life. Ensure you walk with the wise so that you will be wise. Most importantly, choose friends who will bring the best out of your life and help you fulfill your God-given dreams. Lastly, do not build a wall between you and others.
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