Getting To Know The Real Youنموونە

There’s an old saying, “The people you surround yourself with, you become.” Think about the people you hang out with. How often do you wear the same brands, use the same sayings, like the same movies and music?

It’s true. For better or for worse, friends influence our decisions. They can help us become who God created us to be, or they can pull us back into old ways of thinking. 

That’s why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). 

Influence flows both ways. Your friends influence you, and you can influence your friends. The question is what are we spurring each other toward? 

Jesus spurred His inner circle toward love and good deeds. So much so that
“by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

As the disciples loved and encouraged each other, they would show the world a new and different way to live. The same is true for us today. 

Spurring each other toward love and good deeds means helping someone become the person God made them to be. It means challenging each other and standing by each other. That’s the kind of friend Jesus is to us. And it’s the kind of friend He calls us to be. 

Reflect:

• How much do your friends influence the way you think and act? Do you feel like you have to act differently based on who you’re with? 
• Think about friends who love (or have loved) you well. What did you learn about love from those friendships?
• What’s one way you can spur a friend toward love and good deeds today?