Who do you spend time with? Who we’re with influences who we become.  (BTW, this includes the people we watch in the media.)
“Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble.” Proverbs 13:20
“The heartfelt counsel of a friend
is as sweet as perfume and incense. . .As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:9, 17
We can carefully choose who we associate with by putting ourselves in places where there are good and true people, like in a faith community.
“The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray… In the way of righteousness there is life.” Proverbs 12:26, 28

As always, Scripture gives us flesh-and-blood examples to learn from. Job forgave his unhelpful friends who had accused him of sinful behavior while he was suffering, and preached to him things that weren’t true about God. Job prayed for them to receive God’s forgiveness.
“My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has…After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble” Job 42:8, 10-11. Do you have a friend you need to forgive even though they weren’t helpful when you needed them?  Is there someone that needs your comfort and consoling?

Moses showed respect and kindness to his father-in-law, Jethro.
“Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them…. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.” Exodus 18:8, 12 Do you treat your family, including in-laws, like friends?

David and Jonathan made a commitment that they would remain friends no matter what happened.
“Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” 1 Samuel 20:42. Are you a committed, faithful friend?

When things were going badly for David, Jonathan went to see him in order to encourage him.
“And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 1 Samuel 23:16-17. Do you encourage your friends spiritually, helping them find strength in God?

When things went well for David, he shared his bounty with his friends.
“When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.” 1 Samuel 30:26. Do you share good things with your friends?

Daniel chose three close friends who also wanted to obey God. Together they kept themselves pure. Together they studied, and together they prayed.
“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.” Daniel 2:17-19. Do you have a few close friends that you confide in and pray with?

Jesus, the Son of God, honored his simple disciples with the title, ‘Friends’.
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 Are you cultivating a close friendship with Jesus?

Paul, a well-educated, brilliant man, didn’t try to be a one-man show. Instead, he carefully chose co-workers to accompany him on his trips to plant churches: Barnabas, Luke, Mark, Silas, Timothy, and others. Do you try to be the Lone Ranger and complete tasks on your own? Or do you rely on others with different strengths to contribute to the job? Are you accountable to others who know you well?

Paul, as an esteemed leader, did not set himself above those he was responsible for. He didn’t require others to address him by a title. And he addressed those under his authority in Philippi, Corinth, and Rome, as dear friends.
“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!”Philippians 4:1
“Everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.” 2 Corinthians 12:19
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…”. Romans 12:19
“Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case…” Hebrews 6:9

Peter and John, once disciples of Jesus, now leaders in the faith community, wrote to ordinary people who had become believers much later, humbly calling them friends. They didn’t lord it over them that they had been especially close to Jesus. They didn’t throw their weight around. They called people in the churches under their authority friends.

“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” 2 Peter 3:1

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11

What kind of friends are we? What kinds of friends are we spending time with?
Honest
Helpful
Humble
Committed
Generous
Pure
Wise
Spiritually minded
Praying
Willing to forgive

P.S. The biggest decision of our lives regarding friendship is whom we marry. We can encourage young people in our lives to choose a mate who genuinely loves God; to keep boundaries; to recognize the importance of this decision, and not to settle. We can encourage them to be doing the right things so they’re on the right path with other good people going the same right direction.

“…you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’ Ezra 9:11-12