Who is your friend?
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish" (NKJV) Psalm 1:1-6
As Christians, we are called to distinguish ourselves from the world and to set ourselves apart for Christ. This does not forbid us to talk to unbelievers or have dealings with them, but it cautions us to be mindful of our ways in order not to follow their steps.
For example, a young lady Christian gained admission into the university. She made new friends and soon bonded with her roommates. Along the line, she started compromising her faith. Apparently, she was under pressure to do it to suit her new friends.
Most often, we find ourselves wanting to fit into society or willing to do whatever it takes to be accepted in a group or to be with that special one. We lower our standards just so we can be happy temporarily forgetting that its repercussions are dire.
Among religions, Christians have been found to compromise a lot. It has now become so common to engage in the vices God speaks against in Galatians 5: 19-21a: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like...”
On the other hand, some Christians have been shunned and made to lose their sense of belonging. This is usually due to the standards they have set for themselves hence the world seeing them as enemies. As humans, when hit by such situations, we are tempted to question who we are and our stance. In times like this, our focus should be on Christ the Author and Finisher of our faith. Furthermore, as Psalm 1:3 puts it, " He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
You do not have to sell your conscience to be in a good relationship, you rather have to be yourself. A good relationship always has Christ in the centre and those are the ones that last.