What happens to good young people who have bad friends?
Good young people who attach themselves to bad friends can be totally destroyed by that influence. Scripture warns that a companion of fools shall be destroyed, while the one who walks with wise men shall be wise. This principle operates both materially and spiritually, because a person never rises higher than the company they keep.
Les explains that looking back at his own youth and the lives of others around him, he saw how often good young people were totally destroyed by their bad friends. He connects this to the difficulty of raising kids today, since many have no compunctions for right and wrong, no principles, and no absolutes. He cites Proverbs 13:20: “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Les notes that Solomon wrote the Proverbs, often in the area of the material, but the principle holds both ways. In the spiritual realm too, you are never going to rise any higher than the people you fellowship with. Good company brings success, while bad companions bring destruction.