There are a lot of obscure people mentioned in the Bible, people we know little or nothing about whose names are recorded for eternity in the Lamb\u2019s Book of Life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then there\u2019s Menander<\/a>. Strangely enough, his name never appears in the pages of Scripture, but something he said resonated so well that it made the final cut. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul quotes Menander when he writes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character. ‘”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The reason Paul quotes this obscure and ancient Greek poet is simple: they both understand the Gravity Principle<\/em>. The Gravity Principle states that sin makes it harder to lift someone up than drag someone down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Gravity Principle states that sin makes it harder to lift someone up than drag someone down.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n It is the same reason they teach people in water rescue courses not to get in the water with drowning victims if you can at all avoid it. Shout instructions to them, toss them a floatation device, throw them a rope, reach out with a pole for them to grab, but don\u2019t get near them! People who are drowning don\u2019t care about you; they care about their next breath of oxygen. Get within arm\u2019s reach, and they will instinctively shove you under water in their efforts to stay afloat. Then, instead of one victim, there could be two. Drowning people are bad company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a spiritual sense, the world is filled with people who are drowning. They\u2019re drowning in sin and unbelief. As followers of Jesus, we want to help. We know that Jesus calls us to love one another, to share the gospel with everyone, to reach the lost, and to follow in His footsteps \u2013 after all, wasn\u2019t He a friend of sinners? In that sense, don\u2019t we have a mandate to spend time with \u2018bad company?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer, of course, is yes, but that doesn\u2019t mean we have to jump in the water with them. As Christians, we are free from our bondage to sin because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. One day sin will no longer be an issue (That is literally the best news in history, and if you have questions about it, you should absolutely leave a comment on this blog). <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, even though we are free from<\/em> sin, we are not yet free from our struggle with<\/em> sin both in our own lives and in the lives of others \u2013 and we won\u2019t be until Jesus returns. The moment we forget that, we run straight into the Gravity Principle and a serious risk of living out Proverbs 26:11, <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n (Paul outlines this beautifully in Romans 7:13-25<\/a>, by the way).<\/p>\n\n\n\n How many times have you seen people in toxic relationships compromise in an attempt to make things work or watched someone sacrifice their moral standards because they want to be part of a particular group? It happens all the time. These are common problems\u2014they are exactly what the Gravity Principle explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes we mislead ourselves into corruption because we want to fit in or feel loved. Other times we mislead ourselves into corruption because we want to help someone else or be a witness to a group we admire or care about. Whatever the case, we make up excuses that are good, but not good enough. We lead with goodhearted intentions rather than biblical truth. It may feel right, but it isn\u2019t (Say hello to Proverbs 16:25<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every person has a soul, and every soul matters to God. How, then, can we reach those drowning souls with good news without drowning ourselves? <\/p>\n\n\n"Every person has a soul, and every soul matters to God. How, then, can we reach those drowning souls with good news without drowning ourselves?" -Jon Smith #collegiatedisciplemaker The Gravity Principle: How to Love Others Without\u2026 <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n Instead of jumping in with bad company\u2014compromising in a toxic relationship, sacrificing to fit in with a group, corrupting ourselves in vain attempts to help others\u2014here are four ways you can love others while defying the Gravity Principle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever hear the phrase, \u201cMany hands make light work?\u201d This is that. Spiritually speaking, if you feel the burden of reaching out to bad company, you\u2019re much more likely to help someone when you have other people\u2014good company\u2014reaching out with you. It\u2019s also a kind of safety in numbers thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a lot of verses in the Bible that circle the topic of accountability. Having someone in your life to ask you hard questions\u2014and even intervene, if necessary, in order to keep you on the right path\u2014is a huge benefit that you are never too mature to do without. So, if, for whatever reason, you must keep bad company, don\u2019t forsake accountability. Seek it out, set it firmly in your life, and it will help you defy the Gravity Principle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s right, hit the spiritual gym. If it feels like a clich\u00e9, that\u2019s only because it\u2019s true. The stronger you are, the more equipped you will be to resist the temptation of sin and corruption. Work on being wise enough to see temptation coming and avoid it. Focus on being humble enough to recognize your limitations and stay within them. Practice being bold enough to stand up for what is right when you are faced with the opportunity to do what is wrong even a little. Handle the Word of truth rightly, as 2 Timothy 2:14-15 exhorts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Practice being bold enough to stand up for what is right when you are faced with the opportunity to do what is wrong even a little.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The easiest way to defy the Gravity Principle is often the hardest: admit that it\u2019s true and walk away. It\u2019s okay. It is often the smartest play. It might make you feel bad, especially if it’s someone you care about, but that doesn\u2019t make it wrong. The recovering alcoholic probably isn\u2019t the best person to do bar ministry, and no one would fault them for that. If, for whatever reason, you are not in a position to love and reach a person without drowning yourself, be humble enough to walk away and trust that God will bring someone else in their lives to do what you cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we are called to follow in Jesus\u2019s footsteps and be His good-news-bearers in this world, we do well to remember that we aren\u2019t Jesus\u2014He was completely without sin; we still battle our sin nature. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As you engage with the broken world around you, remember the Gravity Principle. You can\u2019t do the world any good if you yourself are drowning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How do we help those in need around us without getting pulled under water ourselves? This article offers important wisdom on staying above the water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[140],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[16,4],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[]},"yoast_head":"\nDon\u2019t Get in the Water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Help the Drowning Without Drowning Ourselves<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One: Don\u2019t do ministry alone.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Two: Have accountability<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Three: Get Swole<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Four: Know when to cut bait.<\/em><\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You Aren\u2019t Jesus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Jesus knew this about us. It\u2019s why He said in Matthew 10:16, <\/p>\n\n\n\n