By Pastor Jomo Cousins, PhD
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT):
33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
One of the keys to success in life and business is being part of the right environment. With the right environment and a good reputation, opportunities will present themselves. Our reputation is what people say about us; our character is what God knows about us. Our gifts get us in the door, but our character keeps us there.
Sometimes, successful people fall from grace because of a breakdown in their character. If we were to take a closer look at what caused that breakdown, usually we would find that it was because their environment had a bigger influence on them than they did on it.
The gist of 1 Corinthians 15:33 is that we have to understand our strengths and our weaknesses, and if we are predisposed to certain weaknesses, then it behooves us not to allow ourselves to be in environments that leave us susceptible to falling. The Bible tells us to put no confidence in our flesh (Philippians 3:3, NIV).
To be clear, good character always evolves from a combination of personal and environmental factors. So, yes, we do have to maintain our personal integrity and our drive in order to develop sound character, but we also have to choose the right company so we do not risk losing our best qualities or undermining our best outcomes.
There are countless brothers and sisters behind bars right now because they were with the wrong company. Remember that who we spend our time with and what we read determine the direction of our lives.
I want you to write down on a piece of paper the names of your friends that you spend the most time with and their levels of success in life. Now ask yourself, “Is that where I want to be in life?” If not, changes must be made.
Prayer:
Father God, I ask You now for the wisdom and discernment to identify who needs to be in my life and who needs to be removed, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Except from: 60 Prayers in 60 Seconds, Page 18.
