POSITIONED TO FLOURISH

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful – Psalm 1:1

Psalm 1, a classical passage that likens believers to trees, shows what it means to be POSITIONED TO FLOURISH. The first verse reads: “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” (NIV). This psalm paints a vivid picture of the kind of company a righteous person chooses and the positive results that follow. It contrasts between righteous and wicked company. The psalm begins by describing the company that the righteous person, the person called “blessed,” does not choose. The progression of walk, stand, sit points to the manner in which sin can gradually snare the soul. The verbs show the progression of those who slide down the “way of sinners”: first they “walk,” then “stand,” then “sit”(v.1). What begins as a casual visit ends as a permanent positioning and residence in the “house of sin”!

Paul knew the benefits of good company, as well as the dangers of bad relationships. He witnessed both first-hand in Corinth. The faith of the Corinthian believers was being damaged from spending extensive time with people who denied the resurrection. Paul therefore exhorted the Corinthians to be careful of their associations: “Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character” (1Cor.15:33). The world has a strong pull on our souls. Sin can choke out our spiritual growth anytime, hence the warnings against falling under the influence of people who have no regard for God. It's a progressively downward spiral, which ends with sitting, or having fellowship, among the ungodly. Bad company can throw a cold blanket over our spiritual lives.

We need to maintain balance in our relationships with unbelievers. The Bible does not forbid association with unbelievers, or else, how can we love and win them to Christ? The problem comes when intimate relationship with those who don't know Christ is allowed to lead us away from Him. It has to do with listening to the wrong people when it comes to making decisions on how to live your life. You must desist from hanging around certain people if you find that their influence is dragging you down more than your influence is lifting them up. Jesus loved and associated with all types of people; but He didn’t allow the priorities of those with worldly goals to affect His priorities. We must not allow our minds to become molded by those with worldly priorities.

The words ‘counsel’, ‘path’, and ‘seat’ represent values, morals, and attitudes, respectively.

You are not to walk “in the counsel of the ungodly” – which reflects ungodly values.  The counsel of people in the world will always reflect their ungodly values.

You are not to stand “in the path of sinners” – which refers to ungodly morals.  It may be seem relatively harmless, on the surface, to join others in certain worldly activities or events, but it’s dangerous to stand with those who are sinning, even if you are not sinning directly yourself.

You are not to sit “in the seat of the scornful” – which infers ungodly attitudes.  If we hang out with people of the world, we’ll begin to talk like them, and even think like them.

How then does the righteous person spend his time? – “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (vv. 2). The secret of flourishing is to delight and meditate on “the law of the Lord” (v. 2). God’s Word is his good company, night and day; He feeds on God’s counsel: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psa.119:97). If we must flourish spiritually and otherwise, we need to pay close attention to God’s Word, making it our daily delight and the subject of our study and meditation. Jesus called it abiding in Him and allowing His Word to abide in us. His promise is that when we do this, we will be exceedingly fruitful (Jh.15:7-8).