The need for friends is something that we have yet to outgrow – and we never will, for God created us as beings who require the companionship of others (Gen. 2:18). But there is a danger associated with this built-in characteristic. Living in a world cursed by sin, it is possible to try to fulfill this need for friendship by choosing associates who might keep us from being all that God wants us to be (1 Cor. 15:33). Thankfully, our Father has given us some guidelines that, if followed, will help us surround ourselves with only those faithful souls who will help us get to heaven. Consider these pearls from Proverbs:

	Proverbs 20:19 – “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.”
	Proverbs 22:24-25 – “Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.”
	Proverbs 23:20-21 – “Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”
	Proverbs 24:21-22 – “My son, fear the LORD and the king; do not associate with those given to change; for their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin those two can bring?”
	Proverbs 25:19 – “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.”

Friends are a wonderful blessing from God – a gift given to help us become better people (Prov. 27:17). Yet they are only a blessing when we have chosen the right ones. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20). Make it a point to surround yourself with companions who are wise enough “to turn [you] away from the snares of death” (Prov. 13:14). If you do, it won’t be long before you’ll be on your knees saying, “Thank you, God, for my friends.”

Eddie Parrish