By Dr Ifeoma Eze

If you want to be a person of exceptional value, then I network with people who have value. Your network is greater than your net worth.

Former US President (George Washington) said, associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to live alone than be in bad company.

There is a network that kindles the flames of your weakness and there is another network that extinguishes the flames of your strength. That is why you need to choose your network and not let the network choose you! You need a network that extinguishes the flames of your weakness and kindles the flames of your strength! Association determines assimilation and Association determines acceleration in life! You cannot be different from those you closely network with. There has to be a level of agreement for you to effectively network with people in your environment (Amos 3:3). Your network is either a blessing or a burden! Your network is either a help or a hindrance! Your network is either a group of exalters or exhausters! Your network will either increase you, decrease you or neutralize you! You have to be very intentional about your network.

Whenever God wants to increase you, He sends you a person and when the devil wants to destroy you, he also sends you a person. This is why you need supernatural discernment to be able to separate men from men. All men are not the same. Everyone is not the same! If you must be a person of exceptional value, you should be able to discern and recognize the different people coming into your life. Some came into your life as pillars to build you up and hold you up; while others came as caterpillars to destroy you and pull you down. God has commanded us to love all men, even our enemies but he didn’t ask us to befriend all people or add them to our network! Never forget that love is a must but network is a choice!

Who you company with determines what accompanies you in life!

Network with the serpent made Adam and Eve to be evicted out of the Garden of Eden.

Network with Lot made Abraham not to hear God and made his workforce to be full of strife.

Network with Lot’s daughters made Lot to commit incest by impregnating his own daughters.

Network with Aaron helped the children of Israel to worship a golden calf.

Network with Delilah destroyed the glorious life and ministry of Samson.

Network with Jezebel made Ahab a wicked king. Network with Saul, his father made Jonathan to die prematurely.

Network with strange women made Solomon to call everything in vanity.