Proverbs 13:20

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

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This one here, is good. I want you to walk with me as we talk about this verse. Jim Rohn once said,

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Oh, that’s deep. If you want to know what type of person you are, look around YOU. Who gravitates to you and who do you gravitate to? Pay attention to it because it’ll give you a clue…about you.

Long before Rohan dropped that gem, Solomon was inspired and caught this divine revelation that your company shapes your destiny.

One of the most immediate forms of ‘walking with someone’ is in cultivating an abiding presence. In other words, walking ‘with’ someone is learning to move in rhythm, a syncopated companionship, a dialogue of discovery you commit and work at finding the flow. That means walking together isn't always easy. Sometimes it looks like you're wrestling... and not just walking. That's important though, because sometimes it means being willing to let another's life experience touch your soul.

And wisdom also calls for discernment. So there are seasons when the path that you're on will diverge from the people that you once walked with. That doesn’t require disdain. In fact, real wisdom pays homage to the teachers, mentors, and even former companions whose perspectives carried you as far as they could. Honor the past, learn from it, and step into the future with gratitude and discernment. You glean from those lessons and then you go into your future with gratitude and clarity.

But “walking with” wisdom goes far beyond proximity.

For me, walking with wisdom has often looked like walking with books. I’ve sat at the feet of A.W. Tozer, Myles Monroe, Rumi, Frederick Douglass (my namesake), Richard Rohr, Brian McLaren, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., T.D. Jakes, R.C. Sproul, Rob Bell… and the list could go on. If you know these thinkers, you’d probably think I was schizophrenic—they don’t all agree! But neither did the writers of Scripture.

The truth is, I walked in step with each for as long as I could. I took what they could give me, and when the path diverged, I moved forward. Yet I often circle back and I find myself revisiting those old landmarks of my map. Their differing voices have become a compass for me, guiding me through the complexities of my own journey. That’s the literary side of walking with the wise.

And then there’s real people in your life—mentors, peers, pastors, artists, friends. People that look up to you, people with whom you see eye to eye, and people whom you look up to. Each person brings a particular lived experience that intersects with my own, shaping me in ways I couldn’t have reached alone. Some voices stay for a lifetime; others are seasonal. But all deserve honor. Even when we can’t walk the same road anymore, wisdom calls me to look back with gratitude for the steps we did share.

Remember

You are shaped by who you walk with. So choose those companions with care.

🙏🏽 Prayer

Lord, shape me by wisdom, honor, gratitude, and holy love.

💡 Today’s Challenge:

Choose one “walking partner” today—through a book, a sermon, or a real life conversation. Let their wisdom shape your thinking. And then, pause to honor someone from your past who walked with you for a season but no longer does.

About the Author

Fred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch

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Be Wise and Be Well...peace.

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