Surround Yourself with Good People

Have you ever heard the saying, “Show me your friends and I will show you your future?” 

That is a powerful statement because the people you surround yourself with play a role in shaping your character. 

In this post, I will name the three types of people you need in your life. We will draw inspiration from Proverbs 13:20, which says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Proverbs 13:20 is an often-cited proverb because it reminds us to be wise in who we choose as friends. Our friends will influence our decisions and how we live our lives. So, we must surround ourselves with people who will make us more like Jesus while we do the same for them.

So, who are the three types of friends you need?

You need a friend you can build up. 

It is powerful to walk alongside someone and help build them up. You can help them gain confidence and see that their life has purpose. Jesus poured into many people and modeled the importance of encouraging others to grow in their faith.

Ask yourself, who can you mentor today? Who needs to hear your story and can learn from your example of being a faithful follower of Jesus? Be a friend who builds someone up.

You need a friend in your current life stage.

Do you have someone who understands your current life situation? You need someone who understands where you are and is right along with you because you can encourage each other, pray for each other, and help each other get through a bad day while celebrating the good days.

You need a friend to look at you and say, “I understand what you are going through.” You need a friend who reminds you that you are not alone. 

Remember that God did not design us for isolation. Instead, He created us for community.

You need a friend who can mentor you.

This is a big one. You need a friend currently in the life stage you are called to. Why? You need a mentor. You need a wise mentor who can help you navigate your calling and get to where they are and where you want to be.

You need to surround yourself with someone who is bold in their faith and living in their calling to challenge you. You can learn from their successes and failures. 

Let their example sharpen your faith.

Are the people you surround yourself with helping you grow closer to Jesus or distracting you from your faith? Are you helping people grow closer to Jesus or keeping them from surrounding themselves with God?

Who you surround yourself with shapes your character. Therefore, obey what Proverbs 13:20 says and walk with the wise.