I always thought having friends was important, but I never understood why or how much of a role they would play in my life. I used to think friends are meant to be there to make you laugh and forget about the hard times and that was it.

I will never forget the moment I was sitting in a church service when the associate pastor made the statement, "Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future."

At first I was very confused. I don't let my friends make decisions about my future for me, I prefer to take care of that myself. The more he talked, and the longer I had to mull this statement over in my head, it finally clicked.

We become who our friends are.

After spending so much time with someone, you subconsciously develop some of the same habits as them. The choice is always yours whether you want to act on it, but you can't always prevent the thought from crossing your mind.

My best friend has this really bad habit of using "swag" for a filler word. When the conversion gets dull or someone stops talking, you can always count on her to reply with her favorite word. As much as I cannot stand this odd habit of hers, I have caught myself on several occasions almost replying with the word swag. Because I spend so much time with her, even the things I don't necessarily like become second nature to me as well. It becomes my choice whether I respond in the way she would; but unless I monitor how much time I spend with her, the thought to reply the same won't change.

As silly as my example was, our habits start with little things like a phrase we tend not to really pay attention to. Next thing we know, we are finding ourselves doing something they would do, picking up on the same attitude, and taking interest in the same things.

None of those have to have a negative connotation to it, if you are selective with your close friends. We should have friends in our lives we invest in, friends who pour into our life, and friends who are on the same level that you can walk through the journey of life with. There is nothing wrong with having lots of friends, as long as you are spending the most time with the ones who point you in the right direction.

Are they encouraging you to chase after your dreams, or are they holding you back from your potential? Are they there to hold your hand through the rough times and point you to God or help you find other ways to suppress the pain? Are they the ones you can trust, or are they the ones hiding something from you?

Be selective with your close friends so your future doesn't have to be; and strive to be the friend you need them to be.