Counter Culture: Warn One Another — Monday
Hebrews 3:12
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. (NLT)
During my freshman year of college, I didn’t have many friends. The few friendships I had were pretty unhealthy, and I intentionally surrounded myself with people who didn’t follow Jesus. They agreed with everything I said and did. I loved my “yes” people, and while I knew that those friendships held zero longevity, I chose to keep them around out of selfishness. They validated my gossip-filled words and encouraged my vindictive and bitter actions. Although I claimed to be a Christian, I didn’t live like one, and I hardened my heart toward the Lord. By the grace of God, I turned back to Him near the end of my sophomore year, but not without almost two years of regrets under my belt.
The company I kept in my early college days deeply impacted my relationship with the Lord in a negative way. Instead of surrounding myself with friends who would challenge and encourage me in my walk, I chose to seek people who did the exact opposite. Avoiding the truth not only hurt me, but also my relationship with Jesus. In Hebrews, Paul is so firm about guarding our hearts because we can be so easily led astray if we aren’t careful.
Surrounding ourselves with a community of believers who will tell us what we need to hear (not just what we want to hear) allows our hearts to turn toward Jesus instead of away from Him. I’m all for being encouraged and getting “hyped up” by the people in our lives, but if our community consists of only “yes” people, then we are more willing to overlook the consequences of our actions and ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit because no one else will tell us otherwise. The beauty of a healthy community is that we can have people in our lives who encourage AND challenge us. As we run the race set before us together, we can continue to point each other to God as we pursue Him.
Monday’s Reflection
Does your community consist of mostly “yes” people? Who is challenging you and speaking truth into your life?