I recently got reunited with an old friend of mine. We knew each other for years and grew up together in the streets of the Bronx. Before my conversion to Christ, this friend was the biggest influence on my life, even more so than my own parents. I can remember learning from him what kind of clothes to wear, what values to hold; even the language I spoke was heavily influenced by him. We soon became the best of friends because he understood me and was the voice for what life felt like growing up in New York City.

Shortly after my conversion to Christ, I began to see that this friend and I had less and less in common. The values we once shared now were in direct opposition to one another. Everything from his views on life, money, success and women made me disgusted to even be associated with him. We rarely spent any time together anymore. I realized his influence on my life was leading me down a path that I as a Christian could no longer tolerate and which eventually lead to our separation from each other. After losing this relationship, I felt relieved that I no longer was allowing myself to be influenced by his values and views. I was dedicated to being a follower of Christ, and if he wasn’t following Christ as well, than we no longer had anything in common with each other.

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