WISE FRIENDS?
King Solomon penned sage advice for all to live by: “He who walks
with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
(Proverbs 13:20) Today’s key question to ponder is simple: Do your closest associates bring help or harm? Consider
the story of the powerful king who unwisely chose a monkey as his dearest
companion and friend.
In a distant land, there was a king who had a monkey that was not
only his pet, he was his best friend. The king loved that monkey
very much, so he fed him with scrumptious fruits from the royal orchards and
even clothed him in the finest garments in the land.
In fact, this king trusted his monkey friend so much that he
decided to make him his personal guard. That way, he would have his
good friend alongside him at all times. Once this decision was made,
the king took his friend everywhere, from the battleground to the court, and on
each royal trip throughout the kingdom.
The monkey apparently loved the king with the same intensity and
was most delighted and proud to have been appointed as his personal
guard. He resolved to carry out his duties with utmost
devotion. While the king slept, it was his job to guard the royal
bed chambers. He would faithfully see to it that nothing would
disturb the king from getting his rest. He even fanned the king to
maximize his comfort, while he slept.
Daily, the royal bed chambers were bedecked with a variety of
gorgeous and fragrant flowers. Attracted by the alluring aroma of these
flowers, a rather determined bee buzzed in through an open window while the
king took his royal nap. As was his custom, the monkey sat by the
king’s bed, protecting and fanning him. Once the diligent monkey spotted the
intrusive bee, he tried to chase it away by using his fan. But the
bee lingered tenaciously, buzzing dangerously close to the king’s face.
After continuous efforts to discharge the bee, the monkey became
rather angry. At that moment, the bee
settled itself on the king’s forehead. By now, the monkey was
totally outraged. Caught up in his devoted zeal to protect the king,
the monkey drew the king’s sword that lay on a nearby table. He
hoisted the sword high in the air to strike down the bee that now rested on the
king’s forehead. Alas, the unwise friend and appointed protector
split the royal head in two, bringing about the king’s untimely demise.
Think about it. We are not
only known by the company that we keep, but our eternal destiny is directly
impacted (for better or worse) by those with whom we closely associate. What does your selection of friends reveal
about your character? And importantly,
how will those choices ultimately affect your God-ordained purpose and dreams?
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