“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” (Proverbs 22:24-25)
Friends should be carefully chosen, since your friends will have influence on you. That influence can be positive or negative: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Proverbs 13:20, see also 1 Corinthians 15:33) So, when you seek a friend, you should ask yourself whether this person is a good role model for you. Would you like to resemble this person, or should you avoid copying his behavior and character? If the latter is the case, you should be very careful. Of course, you can be friendly and kind towards him anyway, but you should not enter into an intimate relationship where you ask him for counsel, spend a lot of time together, and let him influence you.
2 Corinthians 6:14 warns us: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” We should seek the delicate balance of witnessing to people around us and showing them God’s love while not adjusting ourselves to the world’s standards.
How do you choose your friends?