"Don't Waste Your Time"

Some days I try to remember who my friends are, and the feeling hits me that I should ditch most of them. It's an instinct, this thing that tells me that friends who aren't contributing to my own well-being are not good friends to have. And that's said a lot by a lot of people, the whole "don't waste your time on people who don't appreciate you" thing. But I don't see it that way, or, at least, I don't when I give it real thought.

There are a few reasons for this line of thought. The first reason is selfish. It's a networking thing. If I don't burn a bridge, if I remain somewhat in contact with a person, they become a resource for later use; they could, in some country or city or party where you don't know anyone, be your ticket to having a social evening, and meeting others through them who are more your brand of personality.

The second, very fortunate reason, is that people change. People you dismissed as fools or simple-minded people can end up being more educated, or more socially aware, or married, or any number of things that can change a person.

A third reason (I'm sure there are more) is that it's actually not about you. The Bible doesn't leave room for picking and choosing. We're supposed to love everyone, and that often comes at the sacrifice of our own preferences.

Now of course, we're all likely to aim towards our usual friends who seem the best to us, And there's probably not much harm in that. And if you're very sensitive to the words of others, it probably would be wise to take a break from those who you feel tear you down. But as for me, I don't tend to give much weight to the words of others, especially if I don't hold them in high regard. In any case, my self-worth comes from my relationship with Jesus, so any negative words usually seem to reflect poorly on the one they're coming from.

So don't burn bridges.