IT’S WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHO YOU KNOW
Proverbs 13:18 and 20 NKJV
18 Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction,
But he who regards a rebuke will be honored.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
There is an old adage that says it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. The idea is that if you know the right people, it can make up for lack of knowledge. This adage is not Scripture, but does carry an element of truth. Who you know can open doors that may have been closed. Our verses for today add a more well-rounded perspective.
We’ll start with the person who walks with wise people, becoming wise themselves. Another adage is show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. It’s good for me to look at these verses again. Both for my own life and as a reminder to those who are starting out in their careers, relationships, and their own faith. Who you hang out with is going to have an impact on your life. The second part of verse twenty says the companion of fools will be destroyed. Again, the emphasis is on who you are around. Who is speaking into your life.
As a parent, I was not only watching my children’s behavior, but I was also noticing their friends. This proverb is a good reason to be aware. If the friends look sketchy, it’s a good idea to get involved. But this also pertains to adults. I have seen adults who were doing well in their spiritual lives begin to hang around with people who have bad attitudes. Too often, the bad attitudes prevailed. Plus, if you have a great, godly attitude, there will be people who no longer want to be around you. Wise, godly people are a repellent to people who are moving away from God.
One of the reasons that being around wise people will make you wise is found in verse eighteen. Wise people will speak correction into your life. Typically, they are not rebuking you in order tohurt you but to help you. If you continue in the relationship, it is probably because you listened to the correction. How someone handles a rebuke, a correction, will tell you a great deal about them. According to this proverb, it will predict their future trajectory.
This may be one of the most challenging things about pastoral ministry. Being involved with people, as the pastoral staff, we have opportunities to speak truth and correction to people. Of course, the objective is to speak the truth in love. But even when love and truth come together, way too often the correction is ignored or resented. And often the end result is not good.
So here are some great questions to ask yourself. Who am I around the most? Who is speaking into my life? Are they promoting godly wisdom or foolish ways? Are they helping me move forward in my life with God, or are they holding me back? Are they examples of what I want to become or what I want to avoid? How are their important relationships? I am not advocating becomingjudgmental; we have to look at our own lives as well. So while we are asking questions, here is another one. How do I respond to corrections from those who love me and, most importantly, from the Lord?
The courage to ask and honestly answer these questions can mean the difference between being wise or foolish, honored or shamed.
PRAYER
Lord, show me wise people I can learn from. And when You correct, I want to respond the right way.