YOU & CO

 “Show me your friend, and I’ll tell you your character” 
– A Ghanaian Proverb (a direct translation into English)

One of the statements we often heard as children in Primary and JSS, when teachers were referring to a group of “bad” boys was to mention the name of the gangalia (gang leader) and add “and co” to refer to the others. You would hear something like “Yaw Jon and Co”. When I grew, I came to understand that the “Co” was the short form of “Company” and that it referred to more than just businesses. It referred to one’s friends, notably the group of people one surrounded themselves with. 

Paul of Tarsus made clear the importance of company to oneself. He put it succinctly in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “Do not be misled: Bad Company corrupts good character”. The Apostle is said to have quoted a Greek poet, Menander, demonstrating his grasp of contemporary literature. However, the lesson is solid: your life is impacted by the quality of your company! And this “company” does not refer to one-time acquaintances whom you barely meet. This “company” refers to those friends whom you “roll” with consistently, who you speak to constantly and who make inputs into your life. You cannot tell me you do not have even one of such persons.

Firstly, be careful whom you choose as your closest friends. This is because bad company will most likely put you in trouble at best, or get you harmed. In the bible (1 Kings 22), King Jehoshaphat of Judah joins King Ahab of Israel to go to war against Syria even though a prophet made it clear the battle will be lost. In the battle, Jehoshaphat was only saved by a shout which proved to his Syrian attackers that he wasn’t the king of Israel. He escaped with his life, but with an injury. Proverbs 13:20 says “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm”. Be advised.

Secondly, for a Christian, bad company will rob you off your blessings or joy. In Psalm 1:3, a person favoured by God is likened to a tree planted by streams of water and whatever they do prospers. We forget that before you become that tree, you have to be a person who “…walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”. This person must also delight in the law of God and meditate on such. How will you do this if your closest friends are those who mock the things God considers important? 

What, then, should we do? The answer is simple (or not so simple): cut off bad company! It is better to experience the pain of removal of such persons, than to be destroyed by them. There are people we must not associate with again, places we must not stay again (yeah don’t continue staying in certain areas), and some conversations we must not have again! 

In this new year (2023), change your company. Improve the quality of people around you. Be a quality person in someone’s life. And remember what Matthew 5:30 says:

“And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” 

Shalom!