Who Are Your Friends? Series

PROVERBS 3:13-24

Godly Wisdom

Today I wanted to discuss the wisdom we gain from others

Who me associate with moulds and shapes us.

1 Cor 15:33

Paul said that "some have not the knowledge of God". (Vs. 34)

They needed to wake up and get out of these bad friendships.

2 Cor. 6:14 says that there is no communion or fellowship between light and dark.

We need to carefully choose our friends so that they will affect us for good.

There was fella back in the 19th century by the name of Lorenzo Dow, whom folks called Crazy Lorenzo Dow. With a nickname like that, he and I would have been close friends. It seems that when Brother Dow was only four or five, he asked a playmate if he said his prayers every day. The playmate, obviously a good Baptist, said "No." Young Lorenzo stood up and said, "Then you are very, very wicked and I shall not play with you." Now some of ya are sayin’, "The child was demented" or "That’s a bit much isn’t it?" I reckon not.

Lorenzo grew up to be a mighty fiery preacher. Once when all but one family in a town abused him and threw him out of town, a flood came and the only house that was spared was the house of the family that treated him well. I don’t know if God sent the flood as a judgment on the town or God just spared that house during a routine flooding of the area. Either way, I suspect the folks in the town did some rethinking of their position on the Gospel, that family and Crazy Lorenzo Dow. They found out that it was them and not Lorenzo that was all wet.

Lorenzo had the right idea as a child. He knew that no matter how much you want friends you must choose your friends carefully because they will affect you. Some will affect you for evil.

Prov 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

I think of a blacksmith or sword maker when I see this passage. You take a piece of iron and bang it with an iron hammer as it lies on an iron anvil and you can sharpen it into a sickle or sword. Now the iron you are beating must be hot. If the believer is filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and he allows God to hammer him and if he has a mature Christian friend that he can lean on as God is molding him he will become sharp.

A good, strong Christian friend will sharpen you.

He will look for ways to make you stronger.

A godly friend with strong character will encourage you. He will help you to maintain a good reputation. He will help you to save face. His reputation will improve yours for you are known by the company you keep.

Do your friends sharpen or dull you? Do you sharpen or dull them?

The word sharpen can also mean to make fierce.

Does the devil and his minions see you and your friends as fierce warriors of truth or does he see you as dull brittle swords that can be easily broken?

Maybe you need to take the advice of the old commercial that said, "Look sharp, feel sharp, be sharp!"

Go to God. Ask Him to fire you up and temper you as He strikes away your spiritual dullness and fleshly impurities.