2598) I had a friend, “Jane”, who seems to be unusually sensitive to the words and phrases people say. I saw this clearly in a conversation I had with her concerning another friend, “Tim”.

Without even thinking about it, I used a phrase Tim uses regularly, and Jane, contemptuously said, you’re just parroting Tim and though Jane was being unkind in her comparison, I smiled because I realized she was right.  

John 16:13 gives us a look at why we say things a certain way when we have spent a lot of time with another. Here, Jesus tells us the Spirit isn’t speaking on his own authority but he speaks what he hears from God.

Because we have the tendency to repeat words, mannerisms and more, we ought to evaluate, from time to time, whether this other person is bringing us up or dragging us down. We take on characteristics of those we spend time with, including God.