In choosing a friend, we are not just to choose them based on their physical look (how they dress, speak fluently, or look neat) though it also so contributes to making us clean.
Choosing a friend should involve us knowing them and seeing what they can and can’t do, violent or not violent.
I have witnessed a friend going to jail because of a crime the friend committed and ran away.
In other words, to avoid this drama, we must know the kind of friends we make and associate with.
Bible verses about choosing Friends Wisely
Reading the articles will give us an explicate understanding of the kind of friends we have to walk and associate with, which will help us both physically and spiritually.
1 Corinthians 15:33 – Bad friendship can corrupt good manners
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
1 Corinthians 15:33(GW)
Paul here warns us against associating ourselves with those who don’t believe in the death and resurrection of Christ.
It is never a lie; most people we associate with tend to influence us with their life, which is consistently negative.
Most times, we get attracted to things that please us in the flesh rather than what will help our spiritual life.
As Christians, we must distance ourselves from those who tend to influence us negatively than impact our souls.
Proverbs 16:29 – We are not to associate with violence men
A violent person entices their neighbor and leads them down a path that is not good.
Proverbs 16:29(GW)
Violence certainly means using physical force to cause bodily harm or get something from others forcefully.
When we associate with violent people, we tend to exhibit their character, leading us to trouble.
Violent people seem to get angry quickly, which a belief will not help our fate and will also give others a negative impression of us.
Many depressing tales center on people caught in or caught in the middle of violent or criminal acts committed by their ‘friends.
Psalm 26:4-5 – Associating with liars can corrupt us
I did not sit with liars, and I will not be found among hypocrites. I have hated the mob of evildoers and will not sit with wicked people.
Psalm 26:4-5(GW)
In part of David’s commitment to God, David showed an explicit example by not associating himself with lairs and hypocrites.
Disassociating ourselves from friends can be a challenging task and decision. But this is to be done to maintain a close relationship with God.
We are meant to draw sinners to christ so they may receive salvation. But this can only be done when our faith is fully rooted in christ so that they won’t tempt us to the world.
Proverbs 12:26 -We are to be careful of the friends we associate with
The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 12:26(GW)
In as much as we are meant to win souls for christ, preaching the good news of Christ so others may change from their level ways and return to God.
We should be cautious of the word we insert from them into our hearts; it can equally derail or diminish our faith and trust in God.
The friends we walk with should be of a like mind friend (same fate and religion) because iron sharpens iron.
Proverbs 27:17 – The friends we choose can quicken us
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
Proverbs 27:17(GW)
As iron sharpens iron, we are to associate with the same people who will encourage and inspire our faith in building a solid relationship with God.
Iron can’t sharpen wood; this phrase can be applied to us as humans; we can’t expect an unbeliever to inspire us with the scripture; instead, a believer is the one who can do so.
As believers, we must surround ourselves with those who can change our lives for the better by applying the teachings of God.
Proverbs 13:20 – Walking with the wise qualifies us to be wiser
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
Proverbs 13:20(GW)
The people we associate ourselves with speak more of who we are. A studious student will likely want to associate with those who inspire them.
We must choose our friends wisely; the people we work with can easily affect and influence us positively and negatively.
Proverbs 17:17 – The friends we make should be able to help us in time of needs
A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
Proverbs 17:17(GW)
We all, at some point, need help, either financially or otherwise, and this is why we need to choose a friend who can be like a brother to us in times of adversary.
There are friends we meet that are even more helpful than a brother. One thing which can help us have such friends is our attitude.
For us to have friends who can be helpful to us in time of adversary require us to have a good and upright attitude toward others.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – Associating with others can improve our vision
Two people are better than one because together they have a good reward for their hard work. If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10(GW)
Two are better than one in all angles and areas; let’s take an example from getting a building. A laborer who builds by himself will take more days than one who employs more laborers.
This can also be applicable in Christendom. In sharing the goodness of Christ, we need more people to help us spread the news faster and easier.
The only man who would’ve done his ministry alone would’ve been Jesus, who had both physical and spiritual strength but brought in disciples who assisted him in work.
Proverbs 18:24 – The friends we make can ruin us
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24(GW)
If the friends we have cannot help us, it, therefore, means we can get into trouble, which will most likely be difficult for us to get out of.
Even those with an extensive network of friends may not always be very helpful to us. When we are in need, and they lend a helping hand, we know they are our true friends.
Proverbs 11:14 – Counsel is very vital in achieving our dreams
Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble; but with good counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14
When a wise king rules a particular nation, the nation is bound to experience peace and unity. But the government is bound to witness pain and suffering when an unwise king heads.
This is also applicable to believers. Without the right navigational aids, a ship will run aground, collide with another vessel, or crash into rocks.
We need to associate ourselves with people who will impact us positively and lead us to the right paths.
Proverbs 27:9
Ointments and perfume encourage the heart; in a similar way, a friend’s advice is sweet to the soul.
Proverbs 18:24(GW)
It should be noted that not all advice is expected to be taken from friends because some advice might ruin our life entirely.
Friends are supposed to encourage one another, a rescue in times of trouble.
Bible Verses About Long-Lasting Friendship
For a relationship to last a taste of time, both parties involved in the friendship must play a significant role in encouraging and advising each other.
This section will help us relate with our friends and teach us how to establish a relationship that will last long.
Proverbs 24:6
For through wise counsel you will wage your war, and victory lies in an abundance of advisors.
Proverbs 18:24(GW)
Wise counsel is one of the criteria necessary for a long-lasting relationship. No one will want to disassociate their selves from people who give them good guidance.
As friends who want to last longer in a relationship, we must endeavor to give our friends wise counsel, leading to a better end.
Proverbs 28:23
Whoever rebukes a man will later on find more favor than someone who flatters with his words.
Proverbs 28:23(GW)
To make our relationship or friendship last, we must try to rebuke our friends when they do poorly.
Most people avoid telling their friends the truth about themselves so they won’t get angry. Friends are meant to give each other advice, whether it will make them feel bad or good.
Proverbs 27:5
Open criticism is better than hidden love.
Proverbs 27:5(GW)
Friends are not meant to harbor anything in their minds against each other; instead, they are expected to come out plain with each other.
Opening up to each other means we are free with them and probably forgive them for what they did to us.
As believers, open criticism should be part of us, and not keeping grudges against our friends
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11(GW)
Friendship requires encouragement. As friends, we need to encourage one another in different areas; this makes them feel and have a sense of belonging.
As believers, we shouldn’t stop encouraging and advising one another because, most times, their actions might be unconscious.
Bible Verses About Trustworthy Friends
We can’t detect trustworthy friends by looking at them, but we can do that with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Asking the Holy Spirit for guidance is as important as always observing the friends we think we can trust. Their speech and other people they associate with.
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Proverbs 11:14
Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble; but with good counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 18:24(GW)
We don’t just meet friends and assume they are trustworthy. A trustworthy friend has been with us through the thick and thin of life.
In choosing a friend, they must be one who will give us excellent and godly advice that is by God’s will.
Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
1 Corinthians 15:33(GW)
No matter how we look at it, bad companies will hurt us, and the people we associate with will affect us negatively or positively.
Associating ourselves with a drunk, smoker, or womanizer might entice us to be like them or be part of their click.
We must associate ourselves with people who will teach and guide us on the right path.
Proverbs 24:6
For through wise counsel you will wage your war, and victory lies in an abundance of advisors.
Proverbs 18:24(GW)
It doesn’t just stop at having good friends. The friends we have should always give us good advice at all times.
Not all friends will be able to do all things we require in life, so we should have friends who can be of assistance when we need them and those who can give us good advice.
Bible Verses About Having Good Friends
Good friends don’t just come from the air; most of the time, our attitude makes them suitable and changes their ways.
A good friend is crucial because it will help us achieve our dreams.
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Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
Proverbs 27:17(GW)
No one wants to associate themselves with the wrong person; everyone needs someone good and better in whatever they find themselves.
Also, no one needs a friend who will drag them back from achieving their desired dreams or goals.
So they will want and love to associate themselves with people who will help them grow in the field they want to.
Proverbs 13:20
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
Proverbs 13:20(GW)
When we walk with the wise, we become wiser because we will gain a lot from them and also correct some errors we have made in the past.
Walking with the wise has a lot of advantages; things we didn’t know, we will see because they are in the same category.
Proverbs 11:14
Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble; but with good counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 18:24(GW)
Without wise leadership, they are in trouble; this is the same thing that happens to a friend with a lousy adviser; they are likely to be ruined.
According to this verse, people are safe when there’s a good counselor. When we have a good friend who gives us good and profitable advice, we are safe.
Conclusion
The friends we associate with determine where we will end in the future. ” show me your friend, and I will tell you who you are.” The friends we associate with tell more about us.
To live the desired life expected of us by our heavenly father, we must be careful of the kind of friends we make and associate with.
This article has given us many revelations on the kind of friends we are expected to walk with.
