The Right Kind of FriendsSample

Stay away from fools

This might seem unchristian to say, but sometimes God wants you to stay away. There are people you know whom God wants you to unknow in the same way that there are kids whom a loving mother wants her son to stay away from. If that feels unbiblical, read this: “Stay away from a fool” (Proverbs 14:7). You can love and you can pray, but, for God’s sake, stay away.

Hmm . . . who qualifies as a fool? Recently, I read the entire book of Proverbs, that Old Testament book about how wise people live, and saw a repeated thread that tied fools together. The thread was an attitude of “whatever.” We all sin. We all struggle mightily with certain sins. But foolish people shrug their shoulders and assume that it’s fine even when God says it isn’t. When you run into such people, our Father begs his children, “Stay away from a fool.”

As a dad, I get that. I long for my daughters to be loving, selfless, in-but-not-of-the-world missionaries who share Jesus with those who don’t know him just yet. But I also know that I don’t want my kids to trust everyone and get too close with just anyone. Their relationships will require wisdom.

Yours do too. Take a moment to consider the people you choose to spend time with on a regular basis. Is there anyone your Father is asking you to stay away from?