"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" — 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

This is a simple truth that is often overlooked.

Many people say, "Well, Jesus spent time with sinners." He certainly did. But He never allowed their sin to influence His character. Instead, Jesus was the one who influenced everyone around Him. You could even say He was the original Influencer.

When I first arrived at the homeless shelter, I was determined to keep my eyes on Christ. Although I was not battling addiction, I attended Life Recovery, met with a counselor every week, participated in group therapy, went to church every Sunday. During that time, I also attended Milestone Clubhouse a community-based mental health recovery program that provides opportunities for meaningful work, relationships, education, and employment support. It gave me structure and a place to continue healing throughout the week.

My desire was not only to continue healing but also to be a godly influence on those around me.

Then everything changed.

After suffering a painful concussion, I had to step away from many of those healthy routines. I was exhausted and needed rest, but remaining at the shelter without those positive influences made it much more difficult. Over the following weeks, I noticed my attitude beginning to change. I became more easily offended, more irritated, and found myself slipping back into old habits like people-pleasing because I didn't want to feel so lonely. I also noticed anger beginning to grow in my heart.

Living in any environment where unhealthy attitudes and behaviors are common can slowly influence you if you are not careful. Many shelter staff work incredibly hard and genuinely want to help others, yet some experience compassion fatigue from carrying so many heavy burdens day after day. Likewise, many residents are fighting difficult battles involving trauma, addiction, untreated mental illness, poverty, or years of hardship. Others have simply experienced unexpected tragedy, perhaps they lost their home, job, or possessions because of a fire or another crisis. Every person's story is different.

What I learned is that environment matters.

In high school, I knew very little about following Christ. During my early years as a Christian, I surrounded myself with unhealthy friendships while still attending youth group and church. As I grew closer to the Lord, I slowly stepped away from many of those relationships. The loneliness that followed was difficult, and I struggled with depression and anxiety. There were times I wanted to compromise simply so I would not feel alone.

Loneliness often tempts us to seek acceptance in unhealthy places. We may surround ourselves with people who pull us away from Christ because, for a moment, it seems to fill the emptiness inside us. But that temporary comfort often leaves the wound even deeper than before.

Jesus understands that struggle.

He became fully human and experienced sorrow, grief, compassion, righteous anger, and temptation. Yet He never allowed His emotions to lead Him into sin. He remained perfectly obedient to the Father, making Him the spotless Lamb and the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect His character. We cannot always choose every environment we find ourselves in, but we can choose who shapes our hearts.

If we stay close to Jesus, rooted in His Word and surrounded by godly influences, He gives us the strength to stand firm even when the world around us is pulling us in another direction.

"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33). May we never forget that while we are called to love everyone, we are also called to guard our hearts and become people who influence others toward Christ rather than allowing the world to pull us away from Him.

References

(APA 7th edition):Breakthrough. (n.d.). Milestone Clubhouse. https://www.breakthroughwichita.org/milestone-clubhouse/⁠

Scripture References

Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Zondervan.

Simmons, B. (Trans.). (2020). The Passion Translation New Testament. BoradStreet Publishing.