Relational Decluttering

The gravitational pull on my schedule this week was enough to wrench an entire solar system out of orbit. Yet, I willingly took two hours of prime time, as I do every week, to meet with my precious accountability group. At the end of our time together, there were no finished tasks to check off my list, no chores now complete, but it was worth every minute and more. Like the air I breathe, I need to be around people like that.

Our surroundings affect us and so do the people in our life. Their attitudes, their words, their beliefs work their way deep into our souls. Coach Philip Humbert explains the process this way, “It’s automatic, it’s inevitable, and it has tremendous predictive value – the people we associate with predict the kind of person we will become in the future.” In other words, if you want to see who you will be next year, just look at those walking beside you today.

God states it like this, “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces” Proverbs 13:20. Those of us who are parents know this all too well. Wisdom doesn’t come automatically, but only appears as a direct result of deliberate cultivation. And one of the primary ways to grow wise is to seed your life with godly friends.

Successful Christians choose their closest companions with care. Look around. Are you surrounded by people of integrity, wisdom, humility, and sacrificial love? If not, it may be time to declutter your relational environment and make space for some new companions.

No, I am not suggesting that you throw out your relatives or ignore your next door neighbor. But I am recommending that you add a powerful component to your spiritual life– wise mentors and friends.

Begin today to purposefully surround yourself with truth-tellers, God-lovers, and charitable workers. Let them encourage, instruct, correct, and inspire you. The results will show.