The Company We Keep

https://odb.org/2026/07/29/the-company-we-keep

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

A scientific study revealed that watching TV programs featuring mean characters can actually lead people to be mean. This connection is often subconscious, meaning that even shows with seemingly “harmless” jokes at others’ expense can subtly influence how we treat others. So, too, the people we choose to spend our time with will affect our behavior. Solomon provides timeless wisdom on this important subject: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). He implies that individuals may not achieve this wisdom alone, so they should associate with wise, God-honoring people—teachers and friends—instead of those who are foolish. Surrounding oneself with wise individuals fosters “good judgment” and helps us steer clear of “destruction” (v. 15). (Marvin Williams, Our Daily Bread 29th July 2026)

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings penned by several people. Today’s text comes from a portion of Scripture that King Solomon wrote. Tragically, the challenge was one that he himself failed to follow. He wrote, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Yet he’d surrounded himself with one thousand pagan wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:3), which was forbidden by God (v. 2), and they drew Solomon away from Him: “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites” (vv. 4-5). (Bill Crowder, Insight, Our Daily Bread 29th July 2026)

I’m sure when we were growing up our parents would have warned us to stay away from unsavoury characters like pupils who don’t spend time studying or who don’t do homework or who just absent themselves from school without a valid reason (playing truant). During my time, we had students who come to school but disappear later to play arcade games. These are bad influences and some of these so called friends may get worse as we grow older – dropping out of school, indulge in drugs or even criminal activities. In fact, some of these rebellious students may be picked up by organised crime syndicates to become their foot soldiers by enticing them with money, cigarettes and other rewards.

The wiser ones amongst us will not so much intentionally avoid such students but remain friends without getting close or joining their “extra curricular” activities. But we know the drill – don’t mix with them lest we become like them and we do the same with our children when we ourselves become parents. In fact, I recall vividly how once my younger son was around 15 then when he became more actively involved with his school’s Blue team (composition not limited to his class or form) and in the process, mixed with some older students and ex-students. My elder son was in college doing A levels but his friends who stayed back in school doing UEC (a pre-university qualification) saw the crowd my younger son was mixing with and warned him as one of the ex-students in that group were known to have dabbled in drugs before. So we intervened and pulled my second son out of that group before he got too deep.

While we all know the wisdom of Solomon’s words in Proverbs 13:20, as believers there is another dimension that we need to be reminded of and that is our role as light and salt of the world. We will be better off spiritually mixing with church people but if our friends whom we hang out with are all from church, then our sphere of influence will only be amongst the converted. We will have less ability and opportunity to be a testimony to the world and our reaching out efforts may well be limited to the street evangelism activities organised by the church.

We are in the world but not of the world. We know our place, our role in the larger scheme of things and we have this quest to walk forward with diligence in God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Yet there must be a balance between our spiritual and secular lives. Invest time among believers who will have a positive influence over our spiritual lives, yet we must also invest time among non-believers so we ourselves may be a positive influence to reflect the glory and goodness of God. As we receive, we also give and the more we give, the more we will receive.