Friendships are very important to us in our lives.
From a very young age we see that children quickly decide who their friends will be, and more especially who their best friend will be.
This is why Social Networks like MySpace and Facebook are so popular today.
Our choice in friends is much more important than who is popular, or who makes us feel popular, and wanted.
The people in which we decide to be friends with can make or break us.
The Bible says that if you have wise friends than you will be wise, but if you have foolish friends than you will also be foolish.
(Proverbs 13:20) Whether we agree with it or not the friends that we choose will affect us for better or worse.
At this point you may be thinking to yourself that your friends are just the people who you hang out with, and have a good time with; they don't have anything to do with what kind of a person that you are, or that you will turn out to be.
I will show you how your choice in friends molds your choices.
Lets take a look at what the Bible says in 2 Samuel 13:1-19.
We are here introduced to a young man by the name of Amnon.
Who is this Amnon? He was the son of King David.
He was the son of the only man said to have been a man after Gods own heart.
(1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22) He was raised in the scriptures; he knew what Gods word said, and he was raised to believe it, and to follow it to the letter.
He was also raised in fear the Lord.
He knew that the Lord was to be respected, and honored in everything.
But Amnon had a problem; he lusted after his half sister Tamar.
He had an awful thought about her.
Now he is faced with a choice:

• He could have prayed about it, and asked God to takethis out of his mind, and thought life.
  
• He could have dismissed it, and not given it anyattention.
  
• He could act upon it.
  

The decision that Amnon makes at this point will determine the rest of his life.
He decided to dwell on the thought, and it vexed (Teased; provoked; irritated; troubled; agitated; disquieted; afflicted.
) him.
Now he was tormented day, and night, because he knew that he couldn't have her.
He knew the scriptures that forbade it (Leviticus 20:17); therefore:

• When he thought about Gods Word it stopped him.
  
• When he thought of his Father it stopped him.
  
• When he thought of the consequences it stopped him.
  

Because of his upbringing, personal morals, and belief system, he would have stayed stopped; 'but he had a friend'.
You are now or soon shall be what your friends are.
Can two walk together, unless they agree? (Amos 3:3) The answer to this rhetorical question is of course not.
In other words you only become friends with those people of whom you agree with.
Most decisions are based on your friends, and their advice rather than on your upbringing.
Just think of how many times you have personally gone against your upbringing, and what you knew to be the right thing, and instead went along with your friends.
I know that the dumbest things that I have ever done in my life have been with my friends.
Amnon knew the penalties for this sin, and that knowledge had stopped him; 'But he had a friend'.
Amnon wanted someone to justify his feelings; why else would he have told them to Jonadab (his friend) instead of keeping them to himself? His friend gave him the go ahead, and even helped to construct the plan (2 Samuel 13:5-11) Amnon ignored what the consequences of his actions would be once a friend got involved.
His problem started with whom he chose to spend time with.
He chose to be friends with Jonadab "a subtle man".
The word Subtle is used in the Bible only three times:

• Genesis 3:1 describing the Serpent (devil)
• 2 Samuel 13:3 describing Jonadab
• Proverbs 7:10 describing the Harlot

None of these instances are intended to be flattering.
You never want to be compared to the Devil, or a Harlot, but that is exactly what Jonadab is being compared to in this passage.
The question I would like to leave you with is: Who is your friend? Is it someone who encourages you:

• To read your Bible.
  
• To pray everyday
• To attend church
• To share your faith

Or does your friend encourage you:

• To do whatever feels good
• To do whatever makes you popular
• To ignore known consequences to your actions
• To ignore your upbringing, and morals

Not all friends are bad.
A good friend can be a real help in the time of need.
They can be someone you can rely on when the going gets tough, or when you have a tough decision to make.
But if you align yourself with friends that don't live by the same guidelines as you do; then you will get nothing from them but bad advise.
Your choice in friends is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life, so choose carefully.