“I want to be different, just like everyone else!” I will never forget hearing those words during my season as a youth pastor. This young man hadn’t even thought of the folly of what had just come out of his mouth! His heart’s desire was to do his own thing, but what he didn’t realize was that it really wasn’t his own thing, but a thing which had been molded in him by all of the external influences of life.

The reality is that all of us are constantly being bombarded with outside influences. Movies, music, television, news, friends, family … everyone and everything around us has thoughts and opinions, and they are all being shared and inputted into our thinking! You might say to yourself, “this problem is unique to the twenty-first century and the Bible offers no advice or insight on this issue”. Actually the Bible has quite a bit to say about this topic.

Let’s take a look at the opening statement of the book of Psalms:

The Bible tells is that if we want to lead a “blessed” life then we have to pay attention to with whom or what, we walk, stand and sit! Or if I can put it in more modern terms, who or what you spend the majority of your time with is going to flavor who, or what you become!

There is a sub sandwich chain in our area that makes pretty good subs. I enjoy eating their food, but I hate going in to order because every time I do I come out smelling like lunch meat! It doesn’t matter how quickly I get in and out, if I eat there then I am going to smell like bologna the rest of the afternoon! In this same way, as people, we too will reflect, become and smell like whatever or whoever we spend time with.

The Bible tells is in Psalms 86:11, Colossians 2:6, Luke 13:29 and Luke 21:36 who it is that we should be walking, sitting, standing and spending time with … you guessed it … the Lord God Almighty! As we spend time with the Lord in prayer or in His Word then we will begin to reflect His values, purposes and characteristics through our lives. We will begin to see things the way He sees things, and more importantly, we will respond to difficult times or temptations in a way which He would respond.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I realize that Jesus spent a considerable amount of time with “pre-saved” people; this is quite obvious from the scriptures. However it is equally obvious that every encounter he had with the pre-saved was to influence them into the Kingdom of God, and not to be influenced by them. When it was time to “hang out”, Jesus was very particular with whom he spent his time.

So if we want to walk, talk, sit and stand like Christ, then we have to make sure we also walk, talk sit and stand with Him!