It was about midday and I was at the back yard, with my eyes fixed on a branch of the tree. My mom called out to me but I didn’t answer. I was watching a small, black jumping spider with a white band around its head. I gave him a name, “Hulk Spider” because it could jump amazing distances. I eventually took it and placed it on my hand, hoping it would bite me. Later in the day, when I told my brother what I did, he asked me if I knew that spiders kill people. I looked blank. Then he told me that people can die from spider poisoning. That was the end of my quest to become spider man.
Are you also on a dangerous quest to be like someone else without considering the risks involved? Don’t be quick to answer. You need to first of all check the kind of people in your friend’s list, the kind of books you read, the kind of movies you watch and the kind of songs you listen too. You may not know, but all these things affect who you are and inadvertently, they play the role of models. The bible says clearly,
Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character – 1 Cor 15:33 (AMP)
Bad company not only refers to physical relationships but every relationship or interaction you hold. The reason many of us do not observe the effect of these associations is because it occurs at the subconscious level. Your success in life is affected in a great way by the kind of relationships and associations you keep. We will all agree that there has been a rapid increase in infidelity and immorality around the world today. If you observe closely, you will see that this coincides with the breakdown of morality in the entertainment industry – the content of songs, the dance and the dressing all fuel lust. This is a growing problem, fueled by a vicious cycle of lust and the greed for money.
You success in life is limited by your mind and your mind is directly exposed to various stimuli, some of them are designed for your failure. The word of God states this,
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life – Prov 4:23 (NLT)
Many of us complain about the result we are getting in life but could it have been any better with the stuff we feed our minds on? I don’t think so. The Spirit of God was very emphatic about this.
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant – Gal 6:7 (NLT)
So if you are seeking to move to the next level in your life – relationships, career, finances and ministry, then you need to review your “role models.” What do you spend most of your time doing? Whose actions influence you most? What materials fill your mind? You need to answer these questions and check whether these things or people will ever get you to your destination. Remember,
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed – Prov 13:20 (KJV)
