Stay Away From “Those” People

Did your Mom ever say to you “stay away from those kids, they are nothing but trouble?” And your response was something like, “I know Mom, but I’m not going to do the things they do. I just like to hang out with them. Don’t worry, and besides, they are not THAT bad.”

The truth is, we tend to take on the characteristics of the people we hang out with. Even as adults, we like to think that the people around us don’t have a strong influence on us…BULL! It’s as simple as this…the people you hang out with, give an ear to, go to the movies with, etc. will have an effect on your attitudes, belief systems and behaviors.

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul gives a descriptive list of behaviors we can expect in “the last days.” The list actually sounds like he is describing our society today. And sadly, we see many of these characteristics in the church. Paul gives us a stern warning by saying in 2 Timothy 3:5, “You must stay away from people like that.”

Is Paul’s saying we should pull all of our kids out of school and form a colony somewhere in the mountains and wait for His return like a bunch of nut jobs? No, of course not. The scripture is clear that we are to create connections to those who don’t know Christ in order to lead them to Christ. In fact, that should be the priority of anyone who calls themselves a Christian. But the warning seems to be calling out people who claim to know Christ but have become negative, cynical and down right deceptive.

Here’s a thought for today, don’t let your guard down. You may be hanging out with some Christians whose actions and attitudes could potentially lead you down a negative pathway. Remember, a bad attitude is extremely contagious and we are all susceptible to it. Like Paul said “stay away from people like that.”

Something to think about.