To What Extent?

   
 
      I was reading this morning in 1 Corinthians.  The verse, in chapter 15: 33.  Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
     Wow, okay.  This struck home.  Here is what I am thinking:  Goodness!  I don't hang out with 'bad company' and get corrupted!  yeah, yeah, it's true, but if you want to look deeper into the meat of this verse you will get it a little better.  Like I said,  I don't hang out with a rough group.  I mean, there are some rough people out there, boy I don't want to be their friend! So, I just chose not to hit the backspace.  Did you see what I just said???  "Boy, I don't want to be their friend!" WOW.  This is digging into my heart as I type this.  Do you see?!  To what extent shall we take this verse?  We have to take it to the foot of the cross, because I really don't know where else to take it.
    Christ was in the company of a rough crowd most of his life, look at his disciples for one.  They were no angels.  He looked upon these people with love and he showed them that he cared about them.  How could he have shown them his love if he passed them by and gave them the peace sign and said, "Peace dude, I love you man!"  He didn't do that!  He held company with them.  He went to their house!  He ate with them!  He washed their feet!  Goodness sakes!!!   Can't you see it???  He was not corrupted, his steps did not waver.
     Okay, you have to take this the right way.  I am not telling you to go careening into the arms of "bad" company.  I want you to realize that love is not just a word, a thought, a feeling, it is an action, a heartfelt emotion that drives anyone that has the Spirit within them.  I want you to see that there are broken people out there and I want you to realize that not every Christian is strong enough in the faith to place himself in the company of the lost.  If you are able to see that you would be easily swayed by the people around you (for the worse), then that makes you smart to keep away while you ask God to make you stronger and try to resist the Devil.  The question that you have to ask is, "Am I influencing them, or are they influencing me?"  Take God's word seriously!  He knows what He is saying when He speaks about your morals!
     We are called to go out into the world and spread the good news.  That means that we are going to be among the people that this verse talks about.  It is important that you take a breather.  Go be with the fellow brothers and sisters of the faith.  Don't think that you can be in the world for ever and not be swayed by it.  We all need a chance for fresh air.  Come up out of the water and breathe!  There is no shame in the realization that you are being swayed.  Get out'a there and come back when God calls again.  It is better that you are able to set an example for years to come rather than be pulled into the flow of worldly life where you will find yourself swimming up stream to get out.
    Christ knew what He was doing when he dined with the tax collectors.  He also knew what he was doing when he was hung on the cross.
    Don't let Christ's powerful sacrifice fall to the floor because you failed to see what the world around you was doing.  Keep your wits about you and your Bible in your back pocket :P  Christ will lead you and you listen, follow, and believe.  Don't shrink from the rough crowd, stand tall in it (if you are so called) and shine, be the light that people can see in the darkness.
     Think about how you look at people.  Look at the horrible thing I said earlier.  You want to be a friend.  You may be their only friend.  Don't judge them, for they do not know what they are doing.  Look upon them with love.  Don't give them the peace sign, give them the sign of love.  Notice when you are judging, they could just as easily be judging you.  Keep your own slate clean and keep it right with God.  Okay!  I got it out of my system!  Gracious!  I needed to type that!  Thank you for listening to me ramble on!  I hope that God was able to speak to you through this.  Blessings!

Rachel