Your Friends Are Your Future - Proverbs 13:20 and I Corinthians 15:33

Notes at Proverbs 13:20 - He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future."  Or shortened as, "Your friends are your future."

Notes at I Corinthians 15:33 - Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Context: I Corinthians 15:12, "...some among you..."

Communications = HOMILIA, "same company"

Manners = ETHOS, compare "ethics"

"Be not deceived" - it is easy to deceive yourself on this issue.

Examples: Genesis 13:12-13; II Samuel 13:3; Revelation 18:4.

Cross references: Proverbs 2:20; Psalms 119:63; Malachi 3:16; Acts 2:42; Proverbs 9:6; I Kings 12:8; II Chronicles 19:2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Psalms 101:1-8

Notes Today in Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah 9:3 - And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

The source of the name in John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress" of Mr. Valiant-for-truth, who died a death worthy of his name.

Jeremiah 9:5 - And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

"Weary themselves to commit iniquity" notable cross references: Genesis 19:11, Proverbs 4:16, Habakkuk 2:13.

VM

Notes on Proverbs 19:18 - Chasten and Spare Not

Proverbs 19:18 - Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

The day will come before you know it when there is no more hope for his training.

Notice the emphasis on timing. A little discipline at an earlier age saves much more further down the road. If you don't like spanking, then do it early so you don't have to do so much more later. You can permanently accomplish with a few swats at age two what would take many, many more at age six or seven. You can root out a character flaw at age ten that would save him from fighting it for decades in adulthood. While yet in their toddler years, you can so easily save their future spouse many trials, and even spare your child from future divorce, job firings, crime, financial ruin, etc.

"Let not thy soul spare for his crying."

Notice it is the soul or heart, the emotions, that would spare him. Therefore the head must be in control over these. Make logical decisions, not emotional; decisions guided by God's word; decisions that are in the child's best long-term interests, not short-term comfort.

This principle applies not only to discipline and training but to other areas where the young try to get their way as well. They try to wear the parent down over time: Let not thy soul spare for his crying. They have sob stories about what will happen if they don't get their way: Let not thy soul spare for his crying. They try to manipulate: Let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Be the adult, the one with the right answer in the situation, the one who has the wisdom to look down the road and see the long term results of either path. Do not make decisions with the heart ("soul") but with the Spirit-renewed mind (Romans 12:2).

VM