Space Invaders
Space Invaders
Have you ever known someone who was a close talker? The person that just gets too close for comfort every time you try and have a conversation? The kind of person that invades your personal bubble whenever you’re just trying to have a cordial chat? The space invader… as some would call them. I would never, because that would be rude… but, I’m also a very sarcastic person.
I have some bad news, however. If you don’t know this kind of space invader, you might be the space invader. There is a remedy to this particularly peculiar public plague… keep everyone at arm’s length. It’s hard to breach someone’s personal bubble when you keep everyone at arm’s length.
This is a really good tactic to keep people at a distance from you, but it comes with a downside… it keeps people distant. For some, this may seem like welcoming and over-joyous news, but let’s think about this just a little bit. Human beings were not created nor ever meant to keep each other at a distance.
Space is great, but too much is a gap. Space is great, but too much is costly.
Space is great, but too much is emptiness.
Space is great, but too much is isolation. And in my experience, there’s nothing the devil wants more than to isolate you - so he can attack you. Humans were created for community… and there’s a certain safety in numbers.
And when it comes to community, the community you have is the community you created - or allowed to be created. You have a choice in who you hang around. You have a choice in who influences you. You have a choice in who you let invade your space, and the spaces of your life.
Pastor Craig Groeschel says this, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” He’s exactly right and that’s exactly true, but I’ll say it this way - you become who you hang around. Who you allow to influence you is who you will become. And yes, I mean allow because it is as much a choice as it is an invitation. You choose the people in your inner circle because you invited or were invited into it.
When you spend enough time with people, you become like them because you begin to think like them, act like them, pick up their traits, mannerisms, speech patterns, interests and hobbies, and so much more. Your patterns begin to change and before long, your life begins to change. This can be positive, but it can also be negative.
If who you allow in is who you become, then who are you allowing in? Proverbs 18:24 says that a man with too many friends comes to ruin. That’s the first part of the verse. Why does someone with too many friends come to ruin? I thought we were supposed to have a lot of friends…? No, not really. Why? Too many influences will pull you in many directions and in all the wrong ways. Too many influences will lead you off the path of righteousness. Jesus only had three friends in His inner circle that got to see and experience more than the others. Jesus kept His crew tight. There’s wisdom in that.
But that’s not all of Provers 18:24. The rest of the verse says that there is one friend who sticks closer than a brother. That word for friend refers to an affectionate friendship type of love. A strong bond of friendship. We have with us an affectionate friend that will be with us no matter what - closer than even a brother. And since we choose our friends but not our family, that word for brother encompasses either - chosen brothers or biologically born brothers.
The Holy Spirit is the One that Jesus promised would be sent. This is also who the writer of Proverbs 18 was talking about as well. And the Holy Spirit has already chosen you. That’s why He was sent - to you. But are you choosing Him? Are you inviting Him into your daily life? Or are you expecting Him to invade your space?
You see, God is the ultimate gentleman. He will never force you - that’s why you (we) have free will. You choose to. We all do. You must choose to invite Him and give Him the space He asks for. That is how we become more like Him. The Holy Spirit will not invade you; you must invite Him.
You become who you hang around.
You become who you allow to influence you.
If you don’t influence others, they will influence you.
So, who’s in your sphere of influence?
Who do you need to remove, and Who do you need to invite?
Have you ever known someone who was a close talker? The person that just gets too close for comfort every time you try and have a conversation? The kind of person that invades your personal bubble whenever you’re just trying to have a cordial chat? The space invader… as some would call them. I would never, because that would be rude… but, I’m also a very sarcastic person.
I have some bad news, however. If you don’t know this kind of space invader, you might be the space invader. There is a remedy to this particularly peculiar public plague… keep everyone at arm’s length. It’s hard to breach someone’s personal bubble when you keep everyone at arm’s length.
This is a really good tactic to keep people at a distance from you, but it comes with a downside… it keeps people distant. For some, this may seem like welcoming and over-joyous news, but let’s think about this just a little bit. Human beings were not created nor ever meant to keep each other at a distance.
Space is great, but too much is a gap. Space is great, but too much is costly.
Space is great, but too much is emptiness.
Space is great, but too much is isolation. And in my experience, there’s nothing the devil wants more than to isolate you - so he can attack you. Humans were created for community… and there’s a certain safety in numbers.
And when it comes to community, the community you have is the community you created - or allowed to be created. You have a choice in who you hang around. You have a choice in who influences you. You have a choice in who you let invade your space, and the spaces of your life.
Pastor Craig Groeschel says this, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” He’s exactly right and that’s exactly true, but I’ll say it this way - you become who you hang around. Who you allow to influence you is who you will become. And yes, I mean allow because it is as much a choice as it is an invitation. You choose the people in your inner circle because you invited or were invited into it.
When you spend enough time with people, you become like them because you begin to think like them, act like them, pick up their traits, mannerisms, speech patterns, interests and hobbies, and so much more. Your patterns begin to change and before long, your life begins to change. This can be positive, but it can also be negative.
If who you allow in is who you become, then who are you allowing in? Proverbs 18:24 says that a man with too many friends comes to ruin. That’s the first part of the verse. Why does someone with too many friends come to ruin? I thought we were supposed to have a lot of friends…? No, not really. Why? Too many influences will pull you in many directions and in all the wrong ways. Too many influences will lead you off the path of righteousness. Jesus only had three friends in His inner circle that got to see and experience more than the others. Jesus kept His crew tight. There’s wisdom in that.
But that’s not all of Provers 18:24. The rest of the verse says that there is one friend who sticks closer than a brother. That word for friend refers to an affectionate friendship type of love. A strong bond of friendship. We have with us an affectionate friend that will be with us no matter what - closer than even a brother. And since we choose our friends but not our family, that word for brother encompasses either - chosen brothers or biologically born brothers.
The Holy Spirit is the One that Jesus promised would be sent. This is also who the writer of Proverbs 18 was talking about as well. And the Holy Spirit has already chosen you. That’s why He was sent - to you. But are you choosing Him? Are you inviting Him into your daily life? Or are you expecting Him to invade your space?
You see, God is the ultimate gentleman. He will never force you - that’s why you (we) have free will. You choose to. We all do. You must choose to invite Him and give Him the space He asks for. That is how we become more like Him. The Holy Spirit will not invade you; you must invite Him.
You become who you hang around.
You become who you allow to influence you.
If you don’t influence others, they will influence you.
So, who’s in your sphere of influence?
Who do you need to remove, and Who do you need to invite?
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