Choose Wisely

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

Betsy is a sixth grader, trying her best to navigate middle school. She’s a good student who is tenderhearted and gets along well with others, which has made her well liked by teachers and students alike. She just has one weakness in relationships: she leans toward pleasing others.

One day Betsy felt a nudge during a math test. One of the popular girls in her class was looking at her. “Do you know the answer to question ten?” she quietly whispered.

Betsy looked around, unsure what to do. “It’s ten,” she whispered back, feeling guilty even while she did it.

“Betsy.” Mrs. Ames stood beside the two girls’ desks. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to take your quizzes. Cheating means a zero in this class.”

After school, Betsy tearfully relayed the day’s events to her mom.

Her mom listened and gave Betsy a hug. “I know all too well what it feels like to try so hard to be liked and accepted by others,” she told Betsy. “I’ve always struggled with a strong desire to please others. And because I know this about myself, it makes it all the more important to choose my friends wisely because I know that they will influence me.”

“Next time, I’ll stand up for myself,” Betsy told her mom.

The Bible says that if we are wise and understand God’s ways, we should show that to others by the way we live. But when we care too much about what others think, this can affect our ability to live honorably. For example, if we spend most of our time with people who are negative, mean, or unkind, we likely will end up doing and saying the same kinds of things just to please those “friends.” But the opposite is true, as well. If we spend our time with people who are kind, generous, loving, and always looking to do good for others, we’ll end up living that way. Although we can always be kind to everyone, we need to be wise about who we allow to influence us and our choices.

Things to Think About

• Are you someone who is easily influenced by others? Why or why not?
• Have you been wise to pick friends who are wise?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Make a list of the qualities a wise friend should have and then ask God to help you be those things for your friends.