TribesSample

CHOOSE CAREFULLY

The people you choose to surround yourself with – your tribe…your inner circle – will affect your life in some of the most profound ways imaginable. That may sound like an overstatement, but the people we surround ourselves with can’t help but point our lives in a certain direction. Looking back, I can see how my closest friends influenced everything in my life from the jeans I wore, to the words I said, to the things I chose to do with my weekends…there was probably not a single aspect of my life that wasn’t influenced by my friends in some way or another. 

You may want to push back on that…you may be thinking, “okay, sounds like you had a big problem with peer pressure, and you weren’t as strong as I am.” Perhaps. Or, could it be that ALL of us are hard-wired to want to belong? No matter how unique, independent, or strong-willed we think we are, there will always be a part of us that simply wants to fit in with the people closest to us. We can’t help it…it’s human nature! I’m not saying you want to be like everyone you encounter or the most popular kids at school…but you at least want to fit in with the people you like the most, with your tribe, with the people you would consider your best friends. 

Considering that universal truth of human social interaction, it becomes increasingly clear that we need to choose carefully when it comes to our tribes. Like it or not, the people we hang out with will influence us – simply because we spend so much time with them, we can’t totally fight our natural tendency to adapt and become a bit more like them. This is where the old phrase, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” came from. By looking at the way your closest friends are living and the path their lives are on, you can see where your life will head if you continue having them in your inner circle. That’s fine if your friends are heading a direction you want to go, but a horrifying thought if they aren’t. 

So, as we wrap up this plan all about tribes, I have to ask you…what is your tribe? You probably have several groups of friends, and a handful teams or clubs you’re a part of…but what is your tribe? What is that core group of people you spend most of your time with, trust the most, go to when something goes wrong, and who you most passionately would identify yourself with? If that group is not pursuing Jesus and is not heading in the direction you want your life to go, it’s time to make a change. 

Read the following verses, and spend some time having an honest conversation with God about your closest relationships. Ask Him to speak clearly to you about any changes you should make, and who He has already put in your life as the best “tribe” for you.