Falling Into Ditches

Dear Pastor Lawyer,

I have an opportunity to visit my non-Christian friend in another city. She isn’t a Christian, and in fact is a pretty pagan non-Christian. She knows I’m a Christian, but invited me anyway. I’m wondering if it would be good for me to go. Can I help her, or will I just make things worse?

Thanks, Kim

Hi Kim,

One of the things I see in the Scriptures is that we become like the people we hang out with (1 Cor. 15:33 in the negative direction). People who worship false gods become like those gods (Psa. 115:8). These passages show people drifting in a negative direction, but this is also a principle that works in the positive direction: we become like our teachers, for example (Lk. 6:40).

I think the difference is that if we aren’t paying attention, because of the way sin works, we will almost always drift toward the lowest common morals. So, when you get a bunch of Christians together, in a few months, if no one is paying attention, everyone will be as sinful as the worst person was when they first got together. But if they are paying attention and working to stay Christ like, which by the way comes as we spend time with him–imitating him (1 Cor. 11:1; Heb. 6:12), we can raise up the low folks to be more like the godly ones.

With this in mind, I would say that if you can’t maintain your walk with god when you is with your friend, you shouldn’t go down. If, however, you can walk with God, even in the sinfulness of the context there, you can be a light in a dry and dark place, without even saying anything. Just being there, will cause everyone to be more like you, even if they don’t want to. Of course, you should pray for wisdom and boldness to say and do Gospel things with your friend and her friends. But even if you don’t, but also don’t sin, everyone will notice and will naturally be drawn to Jesus in you.

So, go if you can walk with God. Don’t go if you can’t.

I hope this helps.