The Impact of Relationships

HIGHLIGHT: Proverbs 13:20 - Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

EXPLAIN: The writer of this proverb is noticing the impact of relationships. When you walk alongside people who have wisdom, then that wisdom will begin to rub off. The writer then goes on to say that relationships matter when it comes to being around foolish people. What becomes interesting is that wisdom rubs off and helps others to become wise. However, they note that hanging around foolish doesn't necessarily make other people foolish. It can, however, bring harm to the people they hang around.

APPLY: This proverb has always intrigued me. I have never considered myself to be at the top of the smart list, or even the height of known wise people. However, I do want to be wise.

Wisdom, in my understanding, is not knowledge. Rather, it is knowing the actions that need to be taken in regards to what is happening now and what might happen later. Put even more succinctly, wisdom is knowing the right thing to do at the right time that will bring about the right and best results.

The way that this happens is to hang around others who have exhibited this "wisdom." For example, if I want to be wise in the ways of marriage, then I watch those who are in front of me and making wise choices in their marriage. If I want to be wise in the ways of parenting, then I watch those who are in front of me and making wise choices in their parenting. If I want to be a wise pastor (which I do), then I need to watch and hang out with those who have exhibited wisdom in their pastoral ministries.

When I was a kid, my mom said that fools were people who did not believe in God. This is not necessarily the connotation, here, however. The foolish person here is in contrast to the wise. These are the people who live for the moment. Who live off emotion and desire with no thought for how their choices and actions will impact the future moments of their lives.

The writer does say that this doesn't necessarily make someone else foolish, but it can bring harm. There is a certain amount of shrapnel that comes from hanging around foolish people. The pieces can come and burn you, cut you, but not necessarily kill you. There is, though, some scarring that can happen with shrapnel.

RESPONSE: Lord, place people in my life that know you and live with wisdom. I ask for focus to watch and learn, and I ask for courage and strength to put into practice what I see and have learned. I ask for your wisdom.