OVERCOMING DISTRACTION (6): ASSESS AND CHANGE COMPANY IF NEED BE

As teenagers, my friends and I had a routine we kept on the first day of every year. We would all get in a car and drive around different homes in town. The journey started in a home where there was always roasted local chicken and ended with a family that would normally throw a light party every first day of the year.

In between, we visited about five other places where we would get a wine gift, munch on homemade snacks, consume biscuits, take in some generous soda, and exchange pleasantries with some of our friends and their families. It was always a robust day.

But something happened to me one of those years. I began to ask questions. I had begun to invest in reading at the closing of the previous year. Something switched within me. When they called me to go on our routine, I was holed up in my dad’s home office reading and plotting the graph of my personal growth that year. I told them I would not be able to go. They also stopped the routine about a year later.

The company you keep has an impact on you. Relationships are never neutral. They have a profound impact on you. There are things you say or do today that you picked from relationships. Whether we know it or not, relationships are not neutral.

Most things you do personally as a believer are first learnt corporately. We learn private praying by joining group prayer meetings. My prayer life was influenced heavily by prayerful colleagues in my university days. I got fired up. Your love for the study of God’s Word can be stoked by Bible Study meetings in your local church or teachings from the church. Relationships are not neutral.

For instance, Peter had a profound impact on other disciples. After the death of Jesus, he decided to return to his fishing business. His decision influenced most of them.

About seven of them were together after the death of Jesus. Peter called out to them and told them his intentions:

“Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.”

John 21:2 NKJV

Guess what, they all followed him:

“Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.”

John 21:3 NKJV

Make sure you are not distracted in your down moments. You are likely to return to the fishing boat. The fishing boat is where Jesus called Peter out of. Whatever you know is what you return to. Some return to drugs, some to sexual sins, and others to gambling. Be careful of what beckons to you.

Hear the words of Paul, the Apostle:

“Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.””

1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT

Assess your company!

Break camp if need be.

Change your company.

As simple as ABC!

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa