Dare to Be Different
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2
These two verses are very straightforward and self-explanatory. If one desires to be blessed, it would appear that he or she has a certain amount of responsibility in receiving that blessing from the LORD. The criteria is fairly simple, but may be subject to distraction or ungodly influence if one is not careful. The first admonition is to not listen to bad advice given by ungodly people because they don’t have one’s best interest at heart. They desire to destroy the godly influence of those who are attempting to live righteously.
The second admonition is to not hang out with people who have no commitment to the Lord because they create their own morals. They do whatever is right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). Thirdly, do not participate with unbelievers in their ungodly activities. I think it gives unbelievers a gleeful satisfaction if they can get a believer to let down his or her guard and stray from what he or she knows is right. That makes the unbeliever more comfortable with his or her sin by comparing himself or herself with the one who succumbed to temptation.
When believers take a stand for righteousness, they will be ridiculed mocked, ostracized, and passed over for promotions or positions, but the Lord will bless them in ways that the ungodly will never know. I had rather be mocked for doing the right thing than praised for doing the wrong thing. Dare to be different. Become a diligent student of God’s word. The more that you know about His word, the better able you are to turn away from temptation and to be a light in a very dark and sinful world. You will be blessed for your efforts. Also remember that a blessing is not always something pleasant that is received, but sometimes a hardship that is avoided.