Walking with the wise
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”Proverbs 13:20
Reflection
There is a popular saying: "tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are". Proverbs 13:20 says something similar, with much greater weight: "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." Company is not a neutral detail of life. It shapes the way we think, speak, decide, react. We are, in part, the result of the people we spend the most time with. The human environment we are in is an invisible but powerful school.
Notice the verb "shall be". Wisdom, here, is presented as something caught by association, like someone warming up near a fire. Whoever walks with the wise hears their conversations, observes their attitudes, sees how they face problems, and absorbs without noticing. In the same way, whoever gets used to walking among fools is gradually contaminated by their way of thinking: cynicism, superficiality, recklessness, lack of vision. And the verse is honest about the result: a companion of fools "shall be destroyed". It is not arbitrary punishment, it is the natural consequence of following paths without wisdom.
It is important to balance this. The text does not command us to despise people or isolate ourselves from the world. Jesus walked with sinners and tells us to be salt and light. But there is a difference between being near people in order to help and choosing, as counselors and close companions, those who draw us away from God. The question is: who are the most influential voices in my life? Those who pull me up or down? In hours of decision, whom do I listen to? Good company is one of the greatest assets of a life, and bad company is costly.
Draw a small map today: write the names of the five people you spend the most time with. What is each of them leaving in you? Then take a step: seek to draw near to someone wise, more mature in the faith, from whom you can learn; invite them for coffee, for a conversation. And review, with care and without dramatic ruptures, the company that is drawing you away. And, in the end, remember that you are also someone's company: be someone worth walking with.
Prayer
Lord, give me discernment to choose my company well. Bring me near to wise people who draw me nearer to You. Free me from influence that pulls me from Your way and make me someone worth walking with. May my company be a blessing to others. Amen.
Put it into practice
List the five people you spend the most time with and note what each leaves in you. Then seek out a wise person, mature in the faith, and invite them for a conversation or coffee this week.
To reflect on
Who are the most influential voices in your life today, and are they leading you nearer to or farther from God's wisdom?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).