Bad Company

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the gentiles - when we walked in lewdness,lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.  In regard to these,  they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you
1 Peter 4: 3-4 NKJV

I've lost count of how mmany times I've heard the complaint before.  In fact, I've made it myself.  Sitting in a group of christian guys, someone inevitably will confess that he fell victim to trying to "fit in with the crowd."  Whether it be profanity, lusts or some other bad behaviour, they are dismayed at how it easy it was to drift away from God.  I can offer some insight from my past experiences.  I am a christian, I follow God and try to strengthen my relationship with Jesus daily.  However, in the past when I've been surrounded by unbelievers on a regular basis (work, personal relationships) I've found that there are times when I try to "fit in" with these people, engaging in their crude behaviour.  Profanity,  lust, lying you name it, I've been suckered into it.  All in the hope of being "One of the guys."  My mom, in her discernment, would often smack me over the head verbaly when she found I was acting in a certain way that she knew was not my true self.  "Did you learn that from the guys at work?" she would say when my behavior reflected something I wasn't.  What could I say to defend myself?  I knew in my heart it was true!  Once again, I would be convicted of my bad behavior.  What made her "intervention" effective was that she wasn't doing it out of spite, but out of her love for me.  We can all learn something from her.  Anyway, I digress.   More often than not, after being peirced with this truth, I was forced to take a look at what I had been doing.  Yes, often appolagies were offered to those I offended.  However, you'd think I would learn my lesson and stray from such behavior?  That would be too easy I guess.  I guess it's true that bad company corrupts good morals.  On the possitive side, we can all use our experiences of trying to fit in with the world around us to help others who are struggling.  What better way to reach out to someone than from someone who's already been there :)

~Scott~