To Do or Not To Do (Part 1)

It's a sin to do nothing when you know you should do something. Wow. 

Hold up. Let me back up a little. 

After I shared my post on scripture memorization (read original post here), I was asked for my interpretation of Psalm 1:1-3.  I gave a short explanation and after I kept thinking she probably isn't the only person wondering. . .even if she is the only one who asked. 

So, let's look at the meaning of these verses. Due to my long explanation being quite, well, long I'm splitting this into two parts; today, we'll focus on the first two verses and next week examine the third verse.

Psalm 1:1-3 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. 

                       but whose delight

                                         is in the law of the Lord,

                                                       and who meditates on his law day and night. 

                       That person is like a tree, 

                                                        planted by streams of water, 

                                                        which yields its fruit in season

                                                        and whose leaf does not wither—

                        whatever they do prospers. 

(No, there is nothing wrong with your internet browser; I deliberately split the verses like that. Putting verses into smaller pieces can help you memorize the whole thing.)

The first verse shows us what the blessed one does not do. She does not (1) walk in step with the wicked, (2) stand in the way that sinners take, or (3) sit in the company of mockers. 

One who is “walking in step with the wicked” is actively participating in sin. One who is “standing in the way that sinners take” is taking a position (standing) like a sinner--this is done by justifying sinful activities; saying they are okay when the Bible says they are not. The one who is sitting with mockers is the most passive. Let's imagine a woman, Clara, is sitting on the couch with some friends. Her friends are gossiping and Clara is sitting there listening to it but isn't saying anything. Is Clara sinning? To get insight, we'll look at some scripture that relates to this issue. 

Proverbs 17:4 tells us, "Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander." Simply by sitting with the mockers and listening to the gossip the Bible says Clara is a wrongdoer and a liar. Ouch. 

Ephesians 5:11 says, "Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them." No matter how someone takes part of worthless deeds, whether walking, standing, or sitting, she is taking part if she goes along with it. James 4:17 says, "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." 

Now that we've looked at verses in the Bible that relate to this issue, it's time to answer my question. Is Clara sinning? Yes, it is a sin for Clara to sit and listen to gossip. *If you find yourself in a similar situation try to stop it. Expose the gossipers by saying something like, "I'm not interested in hearing rumors," then change the subject. If your "friends" continue gossiping, remove yourself from the situation.* 

To sum up the first verse simply: be careful who you spend your time with. 

Inspirational speaker, Jim Rohn famously said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If you are spending a lot of time with people who are only pretending to follow God’s commands, chances are you’ll start pretending too. 

Now, how can we know what we ought to do? Look at Psalm 1:2. It tells us that the blessed one delights in and meditates on the law of the Lord. In order to know what we ought to do, we need to know the law of the Lord--which is scripture. By reading the Bible daily and thinking about it, we meditate on God's law. (We are meditating on his law right now by looking at these verses and examining what they mean.) 

When meditating on his laws, it's even better if you memorize scripture-- hiding the verses in your heart like Psalm 119:11 tells us to do. It's important to learn scripture "by heart" so that we won't sin. I like the way the American Standard Version translates Psalm 119:11: "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." I like the imagery of "storing up" God's word in my heart better than "hiding" it. They both mean the same thing, but it's easier for me to visualize storing God's word. 

I don't know about you but I want to meditate on God's word, store it up in my heart, and let it transform me. I want to be like the blessed one. 

There is a fork in the road before us, one is God's way and the other is the way of the world, which path will you take?