Have you ever seen a polecat? Chances are you have and just did not know it. A polecat is another name for a ferret, and ferrets are in the weasel family. As you may know, weasels do not have a very good reputation. In most parts of the world, weasels have a negative association. Here in New England, a polecat is a skunk––and talk about smell! I have heard it said, “If you run with polecats, you will smell like one too!” And let me tell you––ferrets––skunks, they both STINK!
Now let me segue into how that applies to our friendships. Friendships change a child’s attitude from the playground to the living room. A college student’s roommate can determine the success or failure of their freshman year––or all four years. A husband can determine the makeup of a new family. A wife’s emotions can set the tone for a newly formed marriage. The short of the long of it is, “Our Relationships Determine our Response” and “Our Friendships Determine our Future!”
But there are ways to keep your Friendships from Determining your Future! Abraham did it when he prayed for Lot. Moses did it, even though He did not want to speak for God to the nation of Israel. Job did it when his wife said “Curse God and die.” And Nehemiah did it when the men around him, his friends, scoffed and laughed at him for wanting to accomplish God’s dream. There are four spiritual principles that I find in these stories that will help keep us from letting our “Friendships Determine our Future”…
- Pray for your friends around you that are making unwise decisions. (Gen. 18:22-33)
- Allow God’s power to show through you, not your own works. (Ex. 4:14-17)
- Hold your thoughts and do not allow your tongue to speak evil around those friendships. (Ps. 39:1)
- Remember, your help comes from God alone! He is your source! (Neh. 2:20)
We all have friendships! They are a part of our life. Let us remember the words of Christ in John 15:13. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
I don’t know about you, but I do not want to run with polecats anymore. they will sell you out through fear and selfishness. But I do want to run with Christ. He gave His life up for me, even when I was still a wreck! (Romans 5:8) And He still loves me through it all! (Rom. 8:38&39)