Saturday, November 16 I avoid those who hide what they are.​—Ps. 26:4.

[Áine]

Saturday, November 16

I avoid those who hide what they are.—Ps. 26:4.

 

Choose friends who love Jehovah. Your choice of friends will greatly affect your growth as a Christian. (Prov. 13:20) Julien, who now serves as an elder, says: “When I was younger, I made good friends while sharing in the ministry. These friends were zealous, and they helped me see how enjoyable the ministry can be. . . . I also realized that I had been missing out on good company and interesting friendships by limiting my friends to those my own age.” What if you realize that someone in the congregation is not good association for you? Paul knew that some individuals in the first-century Christian congregation did not have a spiritual outlook, so he warned Timothy to keep clear of them. (2 Tim. 2:20-22) Our friendship with Jehovah is precious. We should not allow anyone to weaken the bond that we have worked so hard to forge with our heavenly Father. w22.08 5-6 ¶13-15

[StarHope]

Having friends that love serving Jehovah are important to have. Growing up outside the truth, my worldly friends acted like they cared about me. But when threats or dangers arose, they were only concerned with their own selves. Being in the truth now, I have friends of all ages, including some very close friends who are seniors. I adore especially the older ones because I benefit from their experiences and wisdom.

One thing though that bothered me early on as a teenager and Bible student was how others my own age range seemingly avoided me at the meetings. I felt like the proverbial black sheep. This was hard to deal with…especially as an adolescent where friends hold more significance compared to other age groups. It was all about fitting in, but I felt left out.

I wasn’t alone dealing with this. The daughter of one of my senior friends dealt with similar trials. She was raised in the truth, but never got baptized. One scar dealt was how one baptized sister mistreated her when both were teenagers. The daughter wore black nail polish on her fingernails, and the baptized sister replied with something along the lines of it being demonic. This didn’t sit well with the daughter; she was experimenting with styles as all young girls mostly do. Till this day, she won’t bring it up publicly, but this negative response caused her to want to stop associating with the witnesses. Sure she’ll come to the yearly memorial, but that’s as much she’ll do spiritually.

I thought I would mention these experiences. Always use sound judgement with how you associate with non-witnesses, but don’t treat them like dirt.