Friday; March 17

Who are your heroes? While most of us would be willing to openly admit that we follow people with good morals – those who are dedicated to making the world better – there is a part of some us that has a tendency to follow powerful people even when those people aren’t good moral or spiritual examples. We may like how they get things done, the influence they have or how much money they make. In fact, we might be so impressed by these things that we not only ignore their negative traits, we might even excuse them! We might even think to ourselves that their ends justify their means.

Interestingly, the Bible seems to challenge this concept when we are taught, “Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; for their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.” (Proverbs 24:1-2). The wise man cautions that we should avoid the influence of evil people and warns that we should keep our distance from them. When I thought about this with a 21st Century mind, I wondered if this would apply today – not just in personally hanging around with these folks – but following their principles and philosophies. Not only should we not be in their presence, we should avoid falling under their spell.

Who are we trying to emulate? Let’s make the conscious decision to find good influences. How do we know whether someone is a good influence? The simplest way is to look at the fruits of their actions and attitudes. Do they leave good will and peace in their wake or is their path littered with illicit actions and trampled spirits?
Most of us are smart enough to figure out whether someone is good or evil. Let’s be wise enough to use that knowledge effectively!

Think About It!

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