Leave the presence of a fool
or you will not discern words of knowledge.

Proverbs 14:7

Proverbs 14 continues the contrasts between a God-centered worldview which leads to wisdom, knowledge and understanding and a God-rejection worldview which leads to wickedness, perversity foolishness and chaos. In our key verse for today, God warns us to not stay in the company of a fool because if we do, we will eventually lose the ability to discern between wisdom and foolishness. 

This is an interesting characteristic of human nature. We tend to become likeminded with those people we spend the greatest amount of time. That is why, most often, we choose people who are already likeminded with us. Football fans like hanging out with other football fans. Music lovers like to be around other music lovers, but only if they enjoy the same or similar genres. And so on… 

Often this is true of personalities. Introverted folks can handle extroverts for just so long and then they need their solitude. But they can hang with other introverts for a long time. Why? Because they are all behaving like introverts: being together while remaining in their own spaces. But that kind of solitude will eventually drive an extrovert crazy! An introvert can be a bit more outward by hanging out with extroverts and vice-versa, but their natural bent will always be their go-to; their safe place. 

But…and this is an important but…when it comes to the use of our minds and the status of our emotions and the expressions of these in our words and actions; the old saying comes into play. Bad company corrupts good morals! We see this happen over and over again in the lives of people who never intended to end up as drug users or drug pushers. Or people who planned to be doctors or lawyers but, instead are on skid row trying over and over again to dry out. Or the brilliant computer wiz who thought she would change the world is now a dropout from MIT and is staying just one step ahead of the law while she scams innocent people of their hard-earned cash. 

Children do not dream of being drug addicts or alcoholics or homeless or in prison. Their dreams are of building planes and playing professional sports and curing cancer. What’s happened to those dreams? Bad company invaded the lives of these young ones at some point and before long they no longer listened to the pleas of their parents or pastors or even to the advice of former friends. The bad company gains its hold and those precious dreams are cast aside for a life of hardship and destruction.

Enter social media and the Internet! Kids and adults don’t even have to leave their homes to be surrounded by bad company! It is at their fingertips and entrenched into the fabric of their lives. More than ever we need to lean into Jesus and the Bible in all its wisdom!

Psalm One

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor seats in the seat of the scoffer. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.