The people you move with would go a long way to determine your success or failure in life. It is important to note that who you choose to be your closest friends or associates are one of the most important decisive you will make during the course of your life.

You are the same today that you re going to be in five years from now except for these three things:

* The people with whom you associate,
* The books you read, and
* Your relationship with Christ.

You do become like those you closely associate with. Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:33. 'Be not deceived: evil communication corrupts God manners" and Solomon also counseled in the book of Pro. 27:17 "Iron Sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

Good friendship is beneficial while bad friendship results in compromise, conspiracy and even death.The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Your true best friends are those who bring out the best in you. You are better, not worse after you have been around them. Sometimes, a single conversation or just a counsel from the right person can be more valuable than many years of study.

You must beware of some set of friends.

The last category is those that will 'divide' you. These ones are agents of the devil. Just a contact with them can destroy the whole plan of God for your life before you realise what is happening.

* Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown... how do you describe their friendship?

THESE ARE:­
Dream Killers:- There are some friends whom you cannot dream aloud in their presence. They would do their best to kill such dreams 'Numbers 13" God spoke to Moses and he asked him to send men to search the land of Canaan which he has given to them and Moses obeyed the divine instruction. The Bible recorded that they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

In Numbers 13:27,28 and 33 they gave a report of their trip. "And they told him and said, we came unto the land whither thou sent us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great and moreover we saw the children of Anak, which come of the giants and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

However, Caleb did not allow the people to kill his own dream and let's see what happened in vs 30" "And Caleb told the people before Moses and said let us go up at once, to possess it. For we are well able to overcome it "Avoid people that would always constitute themselves as stumbling blocks to your dreams.

Mockers:- Everything that is worthwhile will likely attract mockery at the initial state. Do you know that everything that is big today started small? The story of Sanballat and Tobiah readily comes to mind. "But it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, what do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they revive the stones not of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah, the Ammonite was by him, and he said, even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall" Neh. 4:1-3. Avoid friends that would use their mouths to reduce to nothing any laudable project you are trying to embark upon.

Bad counsellors: Watch their counsels. Solomon said in the book of Proverbs 11: 14 "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety". Jesus also said in matt 7: 18 that "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. I pray that the Holy Spirit will assist you to always distinguish between wise and foolish counsels in Jesus name. Amen.

You do become like those you closely associate with. Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:33. 'Be not deceived: evil communication corrupts God manners" and Solomon also counseled in the book of Pro. 27:17 "Iron Sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

Consequently there could be four categories of people in one's life. They are those that will add to you. These ones would always be a blessing to your life and they will always leave you better than they met you, no matter how short a time they have spent with you.

There are also people that will 'multiply' you. An encounter with them will change your destiny positively. It will leave an indelible mark upon your life because they would deposit something in your life that would keep your going for the rest of your life.

Another set of people are the ones that would "Subtract" from you. They have nothing good to offer to make you happy but to make you sad. May God deliver you from these categories of friends.

The last category is those that will 'divide' you. These ones are agents of the devil. Just a contact with them can destroy the whole plan of God for your life before you realise what is happening. I pray that God will help you in choosing your friend, so that they can be source of blessings to your life in Jesus name.

Bayo Otuyemi is a pastor at Solution Assembly, C.L.E.M.