Romans 1:21-32
Verse 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Yesterday we were talking about how our friends can influence our lives and therefore cause changes in our worship. This can be a negative or a positive effect on us and our lives of worship.
Friends are a vital part of life. We need to have people that we can trust and that can trust us. Unfortunately not every person that we count as a friend is really someone that fits our God-given need of a good friend. Choosing a good friend isn’t an easy feat and sometimes we may even like someone because of their edge. One thing that we need to remember is that friendships don’t just happen and it is important to have friends that aren’t leading us away from God.
In today’s Scripture reading we see how slippery the slope is to walking out of a worship-filled life. It starts with a decision that probably doesn’t seem too significant. Notice verse 21, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Did you see that? They knew God, but they didn’t glorify (worship or praise) God OR thank Him. From the point of skipping those key elements of a life of faith, it is a downhill journey. Before we know it we are trading the truth about God for a lie. We may say that could never happen to us, but think about it for a minute. Have we ever questioned God’s sovereignty when we see the mess our world is in? Have we ever questioned His wisdom about His leading us to do something? See how easy it is to slip off course? And it’s much easier when those we are close to, question these very things because of their lack relationship with God.
So what kind of people are our closest friends? Are they the kind that are leading us step by step away from our relationship with God? And just as important, are we the kind of friends that are leading those around us away from Christ? It shouldn’t be a surprise to any of us that the sinful life is the easier life. But is it the most rewarding?
Making It Personal
Do you have friends you know are not good for your relationship with God? Are you someone that is drawing your friends from God? Are there choices in your life that you should be questioning?
Making It Personal Kids
Why is it important to be careful who you listen to? Do kids that don’t like Jesus make the best friends? Why not? Are you the kind of friend who draws people to Jesus?
Closing Prayer
Father, we know that You are the best friend we will ever have. Father, please give us wisdom about who to spend time with. And help me remember how important it is to spend much time with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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