This past week was the life changing decision that happens every semester for my girls. “Who do I pick for a roommate and which dorm do I live in??” is at the forefront of their minds. They are forced to choose their living situation for the next three months. I don’t remember this being such a stressful decision when I was in college. Nowadays, I hear groaning and gnashing of teeth in the hallways when this week arrives! There is much agonizing over these questions! From the way most of them stress, you’d think they were making a decision that would affect the rest of their lives!
Ultimately, God is, “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (1 Timothy 6:15b). He has the whole rooming thing under control. They have only to seek Him and listen.
After having many conversations surrounding this topic this week, it did get me thinking. The heart of these questions is, “Who are we surrounding ourselves with to do life? Who are we letting into our lives on an intimate level?” And, to the students dismay, they should never stop asking these questions.
Scripture is pretty clear about the friends we are to have. Yes, we are called to interact with the people around us and to love on them, but that is not what I’m writing about (that’s a whole other blog). My questions revolve around being wise in whom we choose to have intimacy (in the purely platonic sense).
Proverbs is full of verses regarding friendship. The one verse that has impacted me lately is Proverbs 27:17. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” The footnote in my Bible goes on to explain that this image shows “that interaction with a good man (both as he encourages and corrects) hones one’s skill in handling challenges.”
This brings up specific questions for me. Who am I surrounding myself with? Who am I allowing to encourage and correct me? If I can’t name off even one quickly, I need to reevaluate my friendships. Are my friends pushing/pointing me towards the Lord, or are they pulling me away? These are hard questions to ask.
Whom are you surrounding yourself with and are you asking yourself the hard questions?
Adventures of a Single Pretzel 