Proverbs 22:24–25: Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.
Insight
Sin is contagious. The base passions of the hot-tempered man repel rather than attract. But sin never loses its infectious character. Friendship blinds the eye. Being friends of a hot-tempered man is like living in a house that is on fire. How quickly does a young person, living with a proud man, become like him and turn into an overbearing person? Evil ways, especially those that our temperaments incline toward, are more quickly learned than good ways. We learn to be angry more easily than to be meek. We pass on disease, not health. So it is a rule of self-preservation, no less than the rule of God, not to make friends with hot-tempered people. 1
Application
Paul described why we must be careful with the friendship we make in 2 Corinthians 6:16–17:
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean.”
When did you become a temple of the living God? How much housecleaning does your temple need? Is there anything that you need to separate yourself from today?
Motivation
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Seek the good things that reflect the goodness of God. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Father, please keep me around those who walk in the light,d and please protect me from those who walk in the darkness.
1. Bridges, C. (2001). Proverbs. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
