day 754: Alliances

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”


Alliances were always a part of our vocabulary, but never as much so as the last decade and the show Survivor that provided us first-hand experiences of how an alliance could make or break a group of people who were playing the Survivor game. We see the same thing in business, but usually they are called industry consortiums, industry groups, or lobbying groups. Companies come together to form an alliance and then try and use their leverage of size or influence to get what they want. In Washington, DC and in every state capital city in America there is a whole industry that has been built up for lobbying. Rules, regulations, taxes, competitiveness can all be won or lost with these alliances. In Detroit, many years ago, the big three car manufacturers became an alliance when they started pattern bargaining with the UAW. To be in an alliance it means surrounding yourself with the best other people or companies and then trusting that the good of the whole will outweigh the good of one. It’s not easy to do and there is always (like the TV show) someone who wants to break the alliance and go it alone or shift allegiances. Regardless of how it works, alliances are important and we would do well to keep our eyes open for those where cooperating would make us stronger and better.

We can also take up our own alliances by following the wisdom of Solomon and look to surround ourselves associate with those who are wiser than we are. Solomon also shows us the flipside of what can happen if we decide to not pursue those who are wise. Our own alliances can be so beneficial or so detrimental to our lives that we need to choose carefully and be sure that we are doing our diligence and then being very deliberate about who we associate. At the time it seems easy to connect and fall into the company of new friends. This can be good and it can be bad. As a constant balance in our lives, let’s be sure that we have a set of fellow believers who are also very connected and instrumental in our lives. It is with these “wise” associations that we can ensure that we stay out of trouble and actually become wiser ourselves. Do you have a small group or a set of friends at work who you can count on for your steady and faithful alliance?

Reference: Proverbs 13:20 (New Living Testament)