Bad Company Corrupts Good Habits

As the Lord would have it, He placed into my hands this week a daily devotional on the Psalms entitled Heart Aflame. The entry for January 1 begins of course with Psalm 1:1

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;

Now, I’ve read this verse a couple dozen times, as I’m sure you have, and I’ve noted how there are three exhortations here that result in a blessing to man. Each using a synonym for the wicked, i.e. the ungodly, sinners, and the scornful, have three separate ways of exhorting us to avoid counsel, standing, or sitting with them. Admittedly, I’ve not thought about what this looks like practically, until now. In this particular devotion the author writes, “He [the Psalmist] teaches us how impossible it is for anyone to apply his mind to meditation upon God’s law, who has not first withdrawn [emphasis mine] and separated himself from the society of the ungodly.” These words are striking. Holding the passage before us and now seeing that the idea being conveyed is that we need to not only avoid, but we need to examine those around us and withdraw from those who are ungodly. It’s one thing to say it, but it’s quite another to put it into practice. This could be difficult. It could be painful. But as the devotional author states, it is impossible for us to devote ourselves to the study and meditation of God’s Word unless we first clear out the stumbling blocks that would hinder us. In this particular application, it is the ungodly. Whether this needs to happen in person or online, it nevertheless needs to happen. More than needs, it must happen.

The author of the devotion goes on to say, “It is necessary to remember that the world is fraught with deadly corruption, and that the first step to living well is to renounce the company of the ungodly, otherwise it is sure to infect us with its own pollution.” How true is this. Have you seen it or experienced it yourself? I have. Even if our intentions are good, surrounding ourselves with the ungodly, even those who might profess to be Christians but live lives that don’t match their profession will eventually bring you and me down to their level. We all know the proverb one bad apple spoils the whole bunch [barrel], but there is a Scripture passage that conveys a nearly identical idea.

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

This verse reinforces our passage from Psalm 1 and the devotional that we’ve been looking at. The charge is clear, we aren’t strong enough, we aren’t moral or holy enough, to withstand the continual company of unbelievers, more than that the ungodly, sinners, or scornful. Their language, habits, jokes, interactions will have an effect on us and the only way to avoid this is to withdraw from them altogether.

As the devotion goes on, the exhortation continues by explaining how easily, little by little, we are influenced into sin. It might be initially through conversation with the wicked, then hanging out with them, and before we know it we are sitting with them, spending time with that bad company who would corrupt our good habits. It is difficult to withdraw. There will be a longing for those times. There may be questions, maybe even mockery, but if it frees us to meditate on the Word of God, to have our minds engaged in His presence, then it is worth it because it far exceeds all the pleasure of ungodly company or the dopamine hit of a social media presence. In this New Year, let us begin by making the changes necessary to get away from the society of the ungodly and let us replace them with those believers who can help us to grow, edifying and encouraging us to live holy lives.

Soli Deo Gloria