"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase"
1 Corinthians 3:6
A Message From the Horne of Africa
"Fat Cats (From South Africa) "
03/29/2009
Do you remember the crazy slogan, "Thin may be in, but fat's where it's at!" I just discovered why I have a problem with my weight. It is the fault of my friends--Tom, Dick and Harry. How do I know? Well, it's because Time magazine (August 13, 2007) had an article entitled, "How Friends Make You Fat." The author argued that diet or genetics had nothing to do with it, concluding by saying, "You can now blame your paunch on your pals." It was based on research information published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Hmm, do you buy that? Well, after due consideration, neither do I. There does, however, appear to be some truth in the idea that we are greatly influenced by our peers. Have you ever heard the maxim, "Birds of a feather flock together" or as the Bible says "Bad company corrupts good character," 1 Corinthians 15:33?
It all boils down to those with whom we associate. Just think--how does the drug culture thrive? Friends influence friends. How does pornography or illicit sexual activity get promoted? Friends influence friends. Even materialism is "caught" from friends. We try "to keep up with the Joneses" (apologies to Charlie and Gary). We want "equal or better" stuff. Most of the time we think "better" is better. When people get addicted to smoking or alcohol abuse, it is usually a "well-meaning" friend who wants to introduce them to the world of "sophistication." A recovered alcoholic lost his wife to cancer. He survived the ordeal with God's help. He went on a vacation during the festive season just "to get away." When relatives and friends offered him an alcoholic drink, he refused. They persisted by saying, "One drink won't hurt you!" But, it did! He ended up a skid row addict all over again. He re-entered the hell of addiction and this time found no escape. We watched him die a second death. Yes, some friends are bad friends. They help us to hurt ourselves. Avoid them, I Thessalonians 5:22.
Normally, when you hear the expression "fat cats," of whom do you think? Is that an overfed feline? Is it corporate CEO's with huge salaries and obscene bonuses who flitter about in Lear Jets? Not so in our case. Some years ago, when some of us South African preachers were fighting "the battle of the bulge," we decided to form a fraternity to fight our fat, called the "Fat Cats' Club." There were four of us. To be a member, you had to commit to shedding some pounds. We would encourage each other. We would monitor our weight daily. We would eat mostly "rabbit food" (salads) and avoid anything that tasted nice. We would hold each other accountable by reporting to one another. We began to shed the unwanted fat, cf. Hebrews 10:24. See, friends can also help friends to get the "skinny." Had we kept it up, we could have been trim and slim today but, alas, we followed the path of least persistence.
To overcome bad habits or sinful ways, we sometimes have to shed friends who lead us astray. We have to have a standard against which to judge activities. That standard is the Bible, 2 Timothy 2:15-17. Sin is made attractive and alluring by friends who are better known as "predators." Unfortunately, the results are always the same. The wages of sin is still death, Romans 6:23. Remember, you can choose to do whatever you like, but you can't choose the consequences. Sin hurts us even though it might have some momentary joy associated with it. So when our friends encourage us to stray, don't be sucked in. Avoid sex before marriage, 1 Corinthians 6:18. Avoid drink and drug abuse. Avoid immodest dress. Avoid bad language and foolish jesting no matter how macho it makes one appear. In fact, avoid anything that God forbids, no matter how much a "friend" might urge us to comply. Just say, "No!" We will be so glad we did when the time of reckoning comes.
Love you all,
Al--"the Horne of Africa"