Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17
It happens most often as we move into the winter season: people inevitably start showing up to work and school with the sniffles. That usually leads to coughing, sneezing, and a lot less hand-shaking and interaction between co-workers and classmates. Often the person with the cold will say, “I would shake your hand, but I’m contagious and I don’t want to get you sick.” That is usually our cue to thank them and move out of their personal space as quickly as possible. No one wants to be around someone who has a cold that is contagious.
The truth is, everyone is contagious – maybe not physically with a cold or some other sickness, but with his attitude. If you have a good attitude and a positive outlook on things, then others around you will be uplifted and will likely carry that same attitude and outlook. Conversely, if you have a negative attitude about everything, you will often cause others around you to feel the same way. If you despise the authority in your life, and you hate correction, then it is likely that those you hang out with and have influence over will come to share your same negative attitude and disrespect. Whether you realize it or not, and whether you believe it or not, someone is always watching you to see how you are going to react and respond to a certain situation. When younger people are watching you, they will often mirror your actions. A positive and godly response from you could likely propagate a great attitude in that younger person. A negative and ungodly response will likely breed a poor spirit and bad attitude in those who follow you.
As important as it is to make sure you keep a good attitude for those whom you affect, it is equally as important to beware of those with whom you associate that could negatively affect you. You wouldn’t let someone with a cold cough in your face, and you wouldn’t hang out in a leper colony unprotected. So why would you purposely expose your spiritual life to those who could infect you with ungodly attitudes and actions? We must live every day with the thoughts of whom we are being affected by and of whom we are affecting.
Read also: 1 Kings 12:1-15
Quote of the day: “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as the attitude you bring to life.” - John Miller