Friends.

Wow. This topic is one that God has been burdening me with. Not quite for me, though it is a truth I need to keep fresh in my life, but for other people. It's not out of pointing fingers, but a concern and care for them.

I was recalling an individual and his choice of a friend. I can't remember how this thought came about, but it was sometime today or yesterday. I'll share how I remember, and then add some.


We are living "trees" that eat fruit off of others. The fruit we eat are the fruits of those we hang around with. Every person bears fruit. When we consume the fruits of the "trees" around us, one of two things will happen.
1. The fruit "ingested" will create a desire to grow similar fruit.
2. The fruit will enter our trunk and plaque will build up, blocking the "xylem."

Now, to break from the symbolism, I'll be more blatant.

There are two types of fruits we can bear in life. The fruits of the Spirit, and the fruits of the flesh.

The concept of eating the fruit of others remains "symbolic." Everyone bears fruit. And when we hang around with people, we "eat of their fruit." And when we eat the fruit of our friends, we will either ingest rotten fruit that will block the life-water of Jesus Christ that enables our spiritual growth; or we will ingest ripe fruit that will create in us a desire to continue letting the life-water of Jesus to flow into us, enabling our growth.

That's the thought that has been filling my mind this whole day. We will eat the fruit of the people we hang around; the fruit of our friends.

If our friends bear the fruit of the flesh--rotten fruit--then our abidance in Christ will be hindered. The power that would otherwise flow through our lives to grow and produce good fruit will be blocked by the plaque of the fruit of the flesh.

On the other hand, if our friends bear the fruit of the Spirit, then a desire will sprout in our hearts to have similar fruits of the Spirit and to grow.

Please meditate on this truth. Please don't let your spiritual condition go down the drain because of friends. Please take a look at your friends. Don't necessarily gage what they have caused you recently to sin, or compromise spiritually, or things like that. Take a look at their fruits--the fruits you are eating. Inspect them. Are they love, kindness, gentleness--or are they hatred, idolatry, wrath?

Now, take another thought. What fruits are your friends ingesting because of you? Are you blocking their lives of the life-water of Jesus Christ? Or are you causing a desire in their hearts to grow, to bear the same fruits you bear?

If you are the former, please repent.

If you are the latter, then please continue. And if you have a friend that hinders your spirituality, then confront that friend. Explain that God is more important to them than they are(assuming that is true). Explain that you don't want to ingest rotten fruit, blocking your growth.

Understand that it is easier for someone to bring you down into the life of not growing in Christ than for you to bring someone up into the life of growth in Christ.

Please take a look at the following verses.

(Prov. 27:17) Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends.


(Gal. 5:19-23) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(John 15:4-5)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.