Sometimes the answer to the question “Who are you with?” makes all the difference in the world.
I used to work for a company owned by a former Israeli ambassador. I remember one particular day when we had a meeting with the Prime Minister. I had showed up at the gate and was attempting to get through the security protocols. I was being very unsuccessful. The reason was that my name was not on any appointment list. Then something happened that taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever learned.
My boss showed up. When he walked in and saw what was happening, he only had to speak three words – “He’s with me.” A special gate was opened and he and I were escorted into the inner part of the facility. He didn’t even have to show any identification, we didn’t have to pass through the metal detectors, our bags were not X-rayed. We just walked in!
Sometimes the answer to the question “Who are you with?” makes all the difference in the world.
Today’s verse says
WALK WITH THE WISE AND BECOME WISE; ASSOCIATE WITH FOOLS AND GET IN TROUBLE
Reputation is not the only thing affected by your association. Being around the right people – those who are wise – will rub off on your approach to solving problems, the way you deal with people and even your viewpoint on life.
The Labour and Conservative are currently the two major political parties in the UK. In the UK’s House of Lords they sit on opposite sides of a central aisle, Her Majesty’s Government is seated on one side and the Opposition on the other. The answer to the question “Who are you with?” is crystal clear by where you are seated. What is interesting is where members of other parties choose to sit. They may choose to be seated with the Government, with the Opposition, or be seated in a central area and indicate their lack of affiliation to either group.
I’m not making a case for which party or parties in the UK may have the best approach to solving Britain’s issues. I’m merely making the point that your approach to HOW those issues ought to be solved and addressed will be very different depending upon which side of the aisle your rear end rests. The philosophy of your mentors will impact you.
WALK WITH THE WISE AND BECOME WISE; ASSOCIATE WITH FOOLS AND GET IN TROUBLE
To stretch the analogy, there are two “parties” in the Kingdom of God, as well; His Majesty’s Government and the Opposition. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the King of Kings actually rules as well as reigns. He holds an absolute autocratic monarchy. The King has an enemy who opposes Him and is intent on taking power. (Spoiler alert: The King wins in the end.)
When you choose to be affiliated with the King, you’re making a choice to operate under His laws, and solve issues the way He wants them to be solved. You agree to use His wisdom, His methods. You do that even when it may appear that the methods being employed by the opposition are temporarily being more effective.
The King employs wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. This is the wisdom from above. The opposition’s approach is to lie and deceive, to take what it wants by merciless force if necessary. Who you are “with” will impact your process and the outcome.
WALK WITH THE WISE AND BECOME WISE; ASSOCIATE WITH FOOLS AND GET IN TROUBLE
When you choose to be part of the Kingdom and make the King your Lord, He places His seal upon you and declares that you are His. As you follow Him, the King Himself begins to teach you wisdom because from His mouth come wisdom and understanding. He shapes your character, shifts your values and changes the way you see the world around you. In other words, as you walk with Him by learning and obeying His word, you become wise.
In the Old Testament book of Kings we read the story of a worldly king who forgot about the King of Kings and decided to “sit with the opposition.” He sent a servant to ask for wisdom from a false god. Ahaziah was the King of Samaria, and by opposing the King of Kings he associated with fools. It ended up costing him his life.
WALK WITH THE WISE AND BECOME WISE; ASSOCIATE WITH FOOLS AND GET IN TROUBLE
When you choose to be part of the Kingdom and make the King your Lord He makes you an incredible promise. (Well, several actually; but I’ll focus on ONE here.) He promises NEVER to leave you or forsake you. Not only are you “with Him” but He promises that He will be with you, too.
In the House of Lords sits a group of people who think have not made up their minds. They have not chosen to sit with either the ruling party or the opposition, they are in the middle. Sometimes their choices put them with one group, sometimes their choices put them with another or even off on their own.
But in the Lord’s House there are only TWO GROUPS – those who have made the choice to be part of the Kingdom and make the King their Lord and those who have not. There is no middle. If you do not choose to serve the King of Kings and make Him Lord you are not in the Kingdom. Don’t allow anyone to convince you differently. The head of the opposition is the father of lies, and he will try to convince you that you are fine right where you are. The enemy will tell you how good you are, and try to convince you that your goodness will be enough. He’s lying; it won’t. The wise know that it is only the King’s GRACE that will be sufficient.
You have to make a choice – Who are you with?
Sometimes the answer to the question “Who are you with?” makes all the difference in the world.
WALK WITH THE WISE AND BECOME WISE; ASSOCIATE WITH FOOLS AND GET IN TROUBLE
