Step Back

     The women's Bible study I'm in now by Margaret Feinberg, Wonder Struck, is focused on friendship this week. She makes some great statements about how we chose our friends and how to make sure our friends are aligned with God's best for our lives. She notes a woman that she had a lot of fun with, but as time went on she began getting into gossip, slander, and less honest behaviors when around her. On page 112, she notes the following:
Instead of challenging me to become more Christlike, I was being drawn away through my relationship with her. I had to take a step back. Sometimes knowing when to pull back from a friendship is hard--especially when we're trying to make a difference in that person's life--but we need to ask ourselves: Are we more of an influence toward godliness or are we being influenced for ungodliness? Whenever the primary influence is that you're being drawn away from God, the time has come to take a step back and prayerfully reassess.
     If you aren't sure about a friendship that you are in, it's time to ask God what He thinks? Ask Him to guide and direct your decisions with and about this person. Ask Him to bring the right people into your life and remove the wrong influences. He will do it, He wants what is best for you and the person that may not be best for you. He may have another plan for her/him, another person that is stronger in your area of weakness that can help them overcome their current sin or less than godly behavior. Step back, and let God, step in.

I Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”