Avoid Bad Influences
It is important that we learn what key tactics are likely to be used to influence us as individuals, churches, or as a country (2 Cor 2:11). One key method is relentless repetition (cf. Phil 3:1). If something is said, with conviction, for long enough, most who keep hearing it will come to believe it. For instance, I believe that many Hollywood movies repeatedly give the message, explicitly or implicitly, that sex outside of marriage is not wrong – even when done without any commitment to the other. Not surprisingly, such an attitude is now much more commonplace than prior to the repetition of this message, in all its various cultural manifestations. We can also be influenced by pervasively held unbiblical assumptions. For example, U.S. culture constantly seems to assume that we should be tolerant of other people’s behavior as long as they are not guilty of demonstrably hurting someone. Biblically, this is simply not valid. We are not to tolerate behavior that God, in Scripture, defines as evil. Bestiality, like many other sins, may not visibly hurt anyone but God says it is wicked and tells us not to tolerate it (Lev 18:23).
Instead of being victims of ungodly influence (1 Cor 15:33), we should steady the resolve of those who didn’t know how to recognize and fight such influence by becoming veterans of our own war against this influence. Then, if there are enough of us to give good examples to the less prepared, we all can give a good account of ourselves when dealing with those who would influence us in ways that are contrary to God’s standards.
“Let us only suffer any person to tell us his story, morning and evening, but for one year, and he will become our master” (Burke). We need to take care who we let influence us (Prov 13:20; 1 Cor 16:18).
Comforting others is costly but worth it.