by: Matt Crouch
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
I want to tell you about an acquaintance of mine that I will refer to as Billy. One day, Billy and his friends were drinking and simply hanging out as they usually did when they decided to play Russian roulette. (Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which each player places a single round in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against his head, and pulls the trigger. Because only one chamber is loaded, the player has only one chance of hitting the loaded chamber, but the risk is still obvious and foolish.) Well, after a round or two into the game, Billy found himself once again with the gun in his hand – and this time his life would change forever. Though the gun shot did not kill Billy, the bullet did damage his brain, resulting in paralysis. Billy will spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair.
Influence is a powerful thing, and we must learn what and who are the right things that we should allow to influence us. There were two things that influenced Billy – alcohol and his friends – what he chose to do and with whom he chose to do it. 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us about the wrong influence of our friends, and Billy’s story is an accurate example of this verse’s truth. There are a few key words from this passage to understand: evil means worthless or injurious; communications refers to companionship; to corrupt means to spoil, ruin, defile or destroy; manners are an individual’s moral habits. At any time that day prior to Billy’s tragedy, he could have stopped and walked away; unfortunately, the thought probably never crossed his mind. His habits had been ruined. This was not his first time to drink and act foolishly with his friends. He and his friends influence was evil, or injurious, to each other. Their habits included drinking, 
partying, and playing the fool. The Bible warns us not to be deceived or tricked by thinking that we can allow the wrong influences into our lives and it not corrupt (spoil, ruin, defile or destroy) us.
Many years ago I heard this quote, “What your friends are is what you are becoming.” So, today I ask you, what and who are influencing you? Are your friends the right kind of influence? Is your friends’ influence helping you to become what you should be or keeping you from it? I hope that you will ask God today to give you wisdom in making the right decisions concerning the things and people who you allow to influence you.
Matt Crouch
Youth Pastor
Grace Baptist Church
Flower Mound, TX