People Are Like Cheetos–They Rub Off On You!

Have you ever noticed how the more time you spend with someone, the more they rub off on you and the more you start to copy and mimic some of their behaviors?  I think this even happens sometimes unknowingly.  I’ve even heard it said that we even start looking like those we are around often.  Have you ever seen those “pets who look like their owners” pictures?  They’re hilarious!  Apparently, pets and owners can even rub off on each other.

I noticed once that I started saying a word all the time that my brother-in-law often used.  Actually, I think the process went from my brother-in-law to my sister to me and then even went to my husband and my son.  It’s the word “nice”.  I never used to say it so much, at least not in the same context.  Now it’s used with more of a sarcastic tone.

For example, when my daughter said, “Mom, the dog just threw up on the floor!”  My reply: “Nice.”  Or…my college students might advise me that our class Blackboard site has been up and down all week.  Me: “Nice.”  Or… when my iPhone crashed and lost all data, and then when I tried to restore it from a backup and got a message that said “Backup is corrupt” (And I later learned that when you create a backup, the previous backup is deleted and replaced with the new one, thus leaving the only backup I had as “corrupt” and unusable!  What’s wrong with this picture?!), my reply was “Nice!”

It’s just a word I picked up on from hearing them say it often, and then I started using it too.  Do you ever do this? 

People will rub off on us

The people we spend the most time with tend to rub off on us.  I think that’s why we’re cautioned so much by our parents growing up (and by God!) to choose our friends wisely.

“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (HCSB) 

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” Proverbs 13:20 (NLT) 

Psalms 1 also contains warning about hanging around the wrong kind of people.  The message is that we become like those with whom we spend time.  Basically, they rub off on us like Cheetos!

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

The same rings true for spending time with God.  The more time we spend with God, the more we become like Him.  His nature starts to manifest, not only inside of us (because it already resides there), but on the outside as well.  We’ll start to act like Him.  God will rub off on us! 

God is rubbing off on me

I can honestly say that I am a lot less judgmental of people than I used to be.  I have been spending much more time with God than in my younger years. Now, because of that my worldview and how I view people has shifted little by little (and continues to do so).  I’m starting to see people more through God’s eyes now.

I’m so very embarrassed to say that there used to be people that I looked down upon because they had looser morals than myself or participated in activities with which I didn’t agree, and they made me angry and disgusted.  I can now look at those same people, and I don’t feel the anger, disgust or superiority that I used to feel.  Instead I feel sadness for them and compassion.  I feel a desire to want to help them get out of destructive habits and lifestyles.  I pray for them now instead of snarling or ignoring. There’s a genuine love for them now.

This kind of change in me only came about by spending regular time with God.  His love for people began to rub off on me and allowed me to become more like Him.  His character is becoming my character little by little.  I like myself a lot better now too!

Take Some Practical Steps to Let God Rub Off On You:

• First, be cautious of who AND what you are spending most of your time with.

They WILL rub off on you…good or bad.  Take inventory of how you’ve been acting lately, and then look at your surroundings to see where it may be coming from.

• Then, spend more time with God–DAILY.

Spend time in prayer.  Spend time praising and thanking Him (some good tips here).  Most importantly, spend time reading the Bible.  YouVersion has some great reading plans for getting started. Also, they are both short and FREE and you can pick a topic of your choice. Pick and start a reading plan to let God rub off on you!

Does anyone rub off on you, good or bad?  Have you noticed yourself becoming more like God the more time you spend with Him?  How is God beginning to rub off on you? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!

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If you have benefited from this post or if you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward and share this post with them via the sharing links below! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

*Updated: Original post 12/9/14