1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

The Zurich Classic is the most unique event on the PGA Tour schedule. You get to bring a partner! The change making the tournament a team format event was a welcomed breathe of fresh air. Plus, both the winners receive the two year playing exemption on Tour. The first and third rounds will be played under the best ball format while the second and fourth will be alternative shot. The inclusion of alternative shot is important because one player cannot carry the team singlehandedly. The “other guy” will be contributing nearly half the shots Friday and Sunday. Choosing the right partner is of the utmost importance. The same is true for us. We increase our chances for success in our life when we choose the right partners to go through this thing. We have to prayerfully select our spouse as well as our friends. The scripture tells us of our friends’ influence – either positive or negative.

Proverbs 12:26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor; but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

We rarely consider the impact of peer pressure when we transition into adulthood. It possibly has an even greater impact on an adult than a teenager. Adults have access to more freedoms than do our children. Not only do we have freedom of moment, but having a job and access to financial resources create a freedom of purchase. If our neighbor has been blessed with a new bass boat, we feel we too should avail ourselves to the bass boat blessings. Jesus told us to be “fishers of men”, right?! The wrong friends will also place undue temptations on us and our families. Instead of going to church or Bible study together, they invite you to go to the local bar or club together. The wrong friends always seem to find family activities held on Sundays. If the children of our friends play in travel baseball tournaments every Sunday, it won’t be long before our children start wondering why they have to spend their Sundays at church. Proverbs 27:17 speaks to the uplifting impact of a good friend – “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpen the countenance of his friend.” Not only will a good friend uplift or sharpen us, he or she will hold us accountable either by overt or covert influence, i.e. we don’t want to get caught at the liquor store. God uses the proper spouse and friend to sanctify, or set us apart from the world. The greatest partner we can have in our lives is Jesus Christ. This friendship can only come about through salvation. Further, this relationship has to be cultivated. The more time we spend in prayer, study and worship, the greater access we have to the Father. We all have those acquaintances who we only hear from when they need to use our truck for moving. Jesus desires a deeper type of relationship with each of us. The more endeavors we partner with Jesus, the more he is able to sanctify us and realize the treasures of spiritual growth. We must have the desire for this growth and development. Our children will also see us place the utmost importance on this partnership. Not only will he loan us the truck for moving, we will even provide us the house one day!