While it is true that birds of a feather do flock together it is also true
that flocking together alters our feathers. Our norms, our standards of
what is acceptable, our eating habits, our standards of beauty, our
vocabulary and our attitudes toward right and wrong merge into a social
network that in turn forms who we are. So much of what we are, who we are,
what we are becoming and who we are becoming are the fruit of our choices.
If we are an adult we can choose how to spend not only our spare time but
how we spend our work time by the choice of a career or work place.

It is so very important for us to understand the importance of our total
environment's impact on who we are. There is no such thing as watching a
movie, reading a book or being friends with someone without it altering our
personality and character. Things, events and people affect us even though
they might be removed from us by several degrees of separation. What
happens to your boss's wife affects him. He affects you and you affect your
children. Your children will most likely never meet your boss's wife but
she has changed their lives. The things we watch on the network evening
news change our lives.

We cannot over emphasize the importance of personal choice in each day's
activities. While there are so many things over which we have no control
there are hundreds of things that are up to us. This is where the influence
and the power of the Holy Spirit mean so much. We must claim the promise of
Jesus in John that He will always be with us via His Spirit.