but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.
Riotous . . . Webster says "profligate behavior, unrestrained revelry, wantonness, noise, uproar, or disturbance" . . . We're not talking birthday celebrations in the kitchen; we're talking about wild parties that can lead to binge drinking, sexual promiscuity, even drugs.
"Party animal." Have you known anyone that has smiled and said that those words describe them? Have you been the person that loves to be at wild parties? Have you chosen your friends from the wild side, instead of choosing from among the godly people that you've known?
Hanging out with the "wrong" people can not only start you on a path that will lead you away from God, but it can also harm your reputation. (Many people have turned away from the party life and found that a decision they made while partying or drunk has impacted their ability to get a job or a mate.) One's best decisions are made while sober -- not while intoxicated!
We may think that we are not allowing those folks to influence us. It can begin in a very subtle fashion, but it will happen, and will gain momentum like a snowball rolling downhill.
The contrast here is that the wise person studies the Word, keeps it, guards it, and learns from it. And because of that, the wise person also guards their reputation, keeps it clean, doesn't let it get dragged in the dirt.
Proverbs 22:1a A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…
Ecclesiastes 7:1a A good name is better than precious ointment…Some people say that they "need" to stop at the local sports bar before going home from work, or they stop in at the club for drinks and more. It's easy to overindulge - eat too much and drink too much. After all, how many television shows portray the party life as one big, long Happy Hour, with no responsibilities and no consequences . . .
Riotous living looks like fun from the outside, and might seem fun for a while, but we all know what happened to the Prodigal Son - he wasted his entire inheritance on riotous living and wound up eating with the pigs. Sometimes young Christians will think that it's not so bad to party with their unsaved friends, but they miss the point that they don't look a bit different from anyone else, standing there with a drink in one hand and a plate of pub food in the other -- and we're supposed to be different.
Romans 12:2a "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...Whether we are a son or a daughter, young or old, we are wise to surround ourselves with people who will help us, build us up, strengthen our faith, and display Christian character and the fruits of the spirit. In doing so, we'll be better able to avoid shaming and disappointing our Father.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Considering my only friends are online, this is not a big issue for me. ;) And the only people I spend physical time with are my fellow church members and my family, and none of them are party people. Thank goodness. I can see how it would really be a problem though, if one of them was a party animal. How do you disengage yourself, but continue to be a witness? That would be a hard thing to figure out, but I'm sure the Holy Spirit would guide.
ReplyDeleteI know in this day and age, this is a big issue. The general population is all about having fun and being entertained.
This is not a big issue for me either, but I can see the attraction for the young Christians who so much want to be accepted by their peers. I guess we all need to understand the pull of the world whatever form it takes is only ephemeral and will only last a relatively short time. What we do and how we live in that time determines our destiny for all eternity.
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