Your Friends Matter

At the last Protege Huddle of the 2009-2010 class, I shared some final thoughts on leadership. One thing I encouraged them to do was to choose their friends and mentors well.

Your friends will determine the quality and direction of your life. I stole that from Andy Stanley. Look around you to see the people you are closest to. They will shape and mold who you become. David had a Jonathan-- who viewed friendship with David as a more valuable position than the throne. David had Mighty Men-- who were willing to risk their lives to be on mission with him. David had a Nathan-- who was willing to confront a king about his sin for the purpose of ensuring that he would finish well. And David had a Samuel-- who saw potential in him and called him into God's purposes and plans for him.

We need those kinds of people around us. Friends who love us but love the person God created to be enough to put the relationship on the line for it. Friends who see the purpose and potential God has placed inside of us and commit to seeing us grow into it. Friends who join us in mission and call us out in our stupidity. Our friends will determine the quality and direction of our lives. Let's choose them well.