Seeking The Company Of “Positive People” (September 14, 2003)

Yesterday I heard a TV preacher say that you should surround yourself with positive people. Shun people who bring you down, he said, and associate with those who encourage you.

I suppose there is something to be said for that advice. We all need a "Barnabas" sometimes (Acts 4:36), an encourager who can cheer us up and make us feel better. Often it is for lack of such support that a person falls into misery or sin.

But what troubled me about this preacher's counsel is that, unqualified, it is a command to be selfish. Surrounding yourself with positive people is contrary to the spirit of Christ, who made a point of associating with the downtrodden and lowly. When criticized for keeping company with misfits, he said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Mark 2:17). It was the Pharisees who sought out the mutual encouragement of their own kind, who admired one another and who furthered one another’s careers. The way of Christ lies more in the path chosen by Mother Theresa, who deliberately surrounded herself with needy souls who probably gave little thought to boosting her morale.

Twice in the last couple days people new to Faith Bible Church have told me how nice people at FBC are, and I readily agreed, adding that it has been a delight for me to preach before a pleasant group week after week. To worship regularly with kind-hearted and mature people is a blessing for which I thank God.

At the same time, I know that Christian duty and charity compels us to seek out, invite and bless those who are dysfunctional, unstable, disordered and self-absorbed. They need Christ. We must not shun them even though they won't be doing anything to build us up any time soon.

A sign of growth in Christ is that you think less about how others might benefit you and more about how you might benefit them. Beware of surrounding yourself with only "positive people." Sure, they can do a lot for you, but they're probably the ones who least need your help.