Iron turns into rust if it seeks the company of soil. It glows, softens and takes on useful shapes, if it enjoys the company of fire. Dust can fly if it chooses the wind as its friend. It has to end as slime in a pit, if it prefers water. It has neither wing nor foot, yet it can either fly or walk, rise or fall, according to the friend it selects. Knowing this truth, a great saint, Kabir once said.  "Here are my prostrations to the good, Here are my prostrations to the bad." When asked why he offered prostrations to the bad, he said, "My prostrations to the bad, so that they may leave me alone. I do the same before good, so that they might remain near me always."  You are shaped by the company you keep. 

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray. - Baba