Good Advice

The righteous gives good advice to friends, but the way of the wicked leads astray. – Proverbs 12:26 (NRSV)

Do you have friends that give good advice? What about friends that bring you down the wrong path, do you have them too? What kind of friend have you been to others? When have you led someone astray? When have you been good?

A couple of months ago I was driving along the street. For a couple of blocks I had been following the same car. I do that sometimes, just try to follow the same car, let that person lead and I’ll follow. It makes driving easier. If the person in front of me slows down I slow down, if he speeds up I speed up. The person ahead is on the look out for danger, or at least sees the danger first to prepare me for it. Sometimes after following someone for a while I’ve noticed I stop paying attention to things as well as I should. I become more concerned with following than making sure I am looking out for danger or other important things with which to be concerned.
As I followed this particular car, ahead of us a fire truck turned on its lights and stopped. A fireman got out into the street. The car I was following slowed down and then changed lanes as he got closer. He went all the way over and then went around the fire truck and the fireman in the street to keep going on his way. Without even thinking I did the same thing, after all I was following the car in front of me. It wasn’t until I looked in my rearview mirror as the fireman threw up his arms in disgust that I realized what I had done. I got so concerned with being a follower I didn’t even consider where I was being led.

My mother always told me to make sure that I have good friends. It is still good advice. She also always told me to try to be a leader as opposed to a follower. That is still good advice too… well that is if we are following Jesus. Following Jesus is a sure way to keep from being led astray. It is also a great way to ensure that when others follow us they are given good advice, because we are getting the advice from the best.

With hope and joy,
Garrett