Do you ever get tired of people? 

I do.  But before you call home and complain, or gasp, please hear me out.  I certainly don’t want someone from the church I pastor to read that and choke, then start the rumor that Bill can’t stand us.    NOT TRUE!  I love the people I am privileged to pastor.

BUT…I DO GET TIRED OF PEOPLE…

People who try to run my life as though they know what is best for me.

People who point their finger at me as though I am always in the wrong.

People who are always trying to make rules for me to follow while changing the rules as the game moves along.

People who try to put me in a bubble of sterile living.

Here is what I mean.  There will always be people who will decide who is right or wrong for me to be with.  I realize that I need to make right choices, but choosing for me based on “the Bible says” is dubious.  “You can should only hang around those who see life as you see it.”  I know care must be taken who I spend my time with lest I become a shipwrecked victim of sin.  But when Christians get to the point where they read only Christian books, go only to Christian movies, hang out only with other Christians, eat only Christian cookies (sugar free, non-caloric, and great-tasting), and wear only Christian underwear (surely someone has put out some Christian under Armor underwear by now…and yes pun intended), it’s time for a reality check.   If we do that, how in the world will we ever influence the world like Romans 10:13-17 encourages us to?

Now…I am not downplaying the fact that many Christ-followers are unable to handle the powerful influence the enemy has when using people.  I have been the eye witness to more shipwrecked lives caused by bad company than I care to review.   I think that may be Bob Goff’s idea in this statement:

I used to think life could be shared with anyone, but now I know choosing the right people is pretty important.

No argument here on that one.  The enemy would love nothing more than to get his meat hooks into someone who is not discerning or not strong enough to thwart the influence of someone else. I Cor.15:33 is a good verse to consider. It is a proven fact that choosing the right people to hang around and/or to learn from greatly impacts a person’s future.  That is the whole idea behind finding a good mentor.  But how about just finding a good & wise friend?  How about finding someone who adds value to your life?

People can be so infuriating.  But people can also be your best asset.  So, what do you think?  How do you choose who to spend your time with? I would be interested in hearing your views. This is part of my ongoing blog posts inspired by Bob Goff’s book, Love Does.  You can see others by going here (check out the last sentence).