Facing the Giant of AddictionПримерок

## Don’t be undermined > ‘Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”’ 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV God told his people, ‘If you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble’ (Numbers 33:55 NIV). Was God being uncharitable? No, He just understood that if His people hung out with the Canaanites, they’d pick up their habits, seek their approval, live by their values, and end up worshipping their gods! That’s why He laid down His law so clearly! John Maxwell says, ‘You’ll acquire the vices and virtues of your closest associates. The fragrance of their lives will pervade yours.’ He’s right! You can tell yourself that a bad relationship won’t hurt you; or that your good will rub off on them. But who are you kidding? If you put on a pair of white gloves, go into your back yard and pick up dirt, the dirt won’t get clean, but the gloves will definitely get dirty. Right? Wake up! A toxic relationship is like a malignant cancer cell – if left unchecked, it’ll rob you of your health, and maybe even your life. Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote , said, ‘Tell me your company, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ Take another look at the influences in your life today, for they’re doing two things: a) moulding you, and b) motivating you. If a constant drip can wear away a stone, then the wrong influences can undermine you little by little. But you are not a stone: you can move! Prayer Points: Lord, I pray that You would help me to develop a godly character and start to live my life according to Your principles and not mine. Lord, I often refuse help or advice because I think I know best, but today I break that stubbornness in Jesus’ name and pray that I live life on Your terms and not mine. Put around me friends that build me up, not pull me down. In Jesus’ name, Amen.