All publications of Kelly . Mgbidi , Nigeria

1Corinthians 15v33 (CSB) " Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals". Negative influence is stronger than positive influence unless the positive influence is backed by the Holy Spirit. Abraham is God's friend because he had a positive influence on God's life - Abraham's counsel to God in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Friendship either impacts you or reduces you. Friendship is so spiritual because every man carries an atmosphere. Romans 16v17 (CSB); " I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them".

40% of who you are is a function of what you think and hear. Whether in focus or passing, every word you hear has an impact or effect on you. The way trees follow the sun, te same way human beings follow words. Drop every friend who tells you; "You can't make it". If your friend doesn't speak life to you, drop him or her. Choose your friends, don't let your friends choose you.

20% of who you are is a function of what you say. Negative words get you to fail in times of adversary. Be careful of what you say. Always be positive no matter how difficult it may seem.

40% of who you are is a function of your companion (how far you go is determined by who you follow or you carry along. Your next level is in the function of your friendship. Don't keep a relationship simply because of your childhood memories but because of the positive influence it gives to you. Many people get stranded because they don't have reliable friends. Keep a friendship respect to impact and not remorse. As a Christian, it's not appropriate to say you've changed and become born again, yet you still keep wrong friends. The easiest way to leave bad company is to keep doing the right things. If your change is not visible nor felt by your friends, then you have not changed.

Make friends with people of great mentality and not their financial status. Financial blessing is no better than mental blessing. The type of friend you tell your marital issues to, determines the outcome of your marriage.

Five most dangerous friends you shouldn't associate with.

- Friends who receive complaints from others. 2 Samuel 15v2-6. The highest temptations are the human beings around you. If you want to live a peaceful live, avoid people who receive complaints from others because such people never give the right counselling. For God to use you to help others, you must have undergone the pains of those people and when you're helping them, you know exactly how they feel. People who make themselves available for complaints are those who haven't been through any challenge.

- Lazy and idle friends. Proverbs 19v15. God doesn't use nor call nor bless a lazy man. A lazy man is one who says he doesn't see what to do. They have the anointing to sleep and are always hungry. The highest capital available for you is your friendship and you being trustworthy. If you allow yourself to dwell with lazy people, no matter how wealthy you're, you will become poor.

- Friends who bring negative reports. John 3v25-30. Go down and let people go up. Make yourself a ladder to your friends. When God is ready to lift you up, people will go down for your uprising.

- Friends who contribute with just their mouths. Such friends don't act but only give empty promises. They do everything for you but with their mouths.

- Church politicians. 1Timothy 5v13. This set of friends know everything about the church and are not good people. They don't do what is just.

All human beings are the same because they all have the same need. They are all finding answers to the following five most important questions of life. Every human being should be able to answer these following questions.

1- Who Am I?

This is a question of "Identity". Everyone on the earth is challenged with this question. If you can not answer the question of identity, you will not know how to function and will probably be living another person's expectation of you. For example, a lion cub called prince was taken from the wild by a hunter and brought home, to live with domestic animals like cows, goats, cats and fowls. Prince the Lion cub grew up to become prince the lion. Since Prince the lion grew up with the domestic animals, he did not know he was a real lion (king of the jungle) and so, he behaved like a pussy cat in all aspects. When Prince and his companions (domestic animals) saw another lion from the wild, they will all run, including Prince. And the lion from the wild was surprised and wondered why his fellow lion (Prince) ran away from him. When you don't know who you are, you will be spending time with the wrong people. Loss of identity makes you to be treated in any manner. You find yourself serving those who ought to serve you. As Christians, 1Peter 2v9-10 tells us who we are.

2- Where Am I From?

This is a question of "Heritage or Lineage". As a Christian, this question is far beyond ethnic groups. As Christians, we are from above and should not be ashamed to say it boldly. When you do not know where you are coming from, you cannot enjoy the privileges of where you come from. For example, Prince the lion did not know he comes from the lineage of kings of the jungle and because of this, he behaved like a pussy cat (he ran into hiding when he saw his fellow lion). Had it been he knew he comes from a kingly lineage, he would stand and face his fellow lion.

3- What Can I Do?

This is a question of "Potentials". What is your ability. When you have no clue of what you can do, you end up living below your capability. Not everyone who went to school is great, the same as not everyone who did not go to school is not great. Look at Abraham, which school did he go to? But he has gone down in history. What you think you are satisfied with, God is disappointed with it because he put so much in you and you have not lived up to expectation. To who much is given, much is expected. There is so much in you that has not be done. No one is responsible for where you are now except yourself. For example, Prince the lion did not know he is a lion and that lions roar. Not knowing he has the ability to roar, he purrs like a cat.

4- Where Am I Going?

This is a question of "Destiny". Do not let the devil deceive you, your destiny is to contribute to humanity. For example, Prince the lion has a destiny to be king of the jungle and because he does not know that, he refused to leave the domestic animals. You are meant for the top and you won't get there if you don't know that. Instead of you becoming the doctor you are destined to be, you become the lawyer the family wants you to be and you discover that things are stiff, which is because you are going the wrong way. Where you are now is not your bus stop, there's more ahead.

5- Why Am I Here?

This is a question of "Purpose". It is so critical to know why you are in a particular place. Life becomes frustrating when you do not live according to your purpose. Those who know their purpose hardly move about carelessly. They always stay focused. For example, the purpose why Prince the lion was brought from the wild to the house, was for him to become an advocate to the domestic animals. So, when he returns to the wild, he will stop other lions from the wild from hunting domestic animals. There is a purpose why you born into that family, into that country. Fulfill your purpose and make a difference.