"Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. Rather, he delights in the teachings of the LORD and reflects on his teachings day and night" - Psa 1:1-2
We can see them everywhere because we are told that we need them. So whether one is an executive whose daily routine involves a moderate walk, or a health buff who takes a regular run in the park, or a gym rat who sweats it out regularly by lifting iron, we need to somehow rehydrate and most people do it with a bottled water. But we also see many of these bottled water being refilled for reuse. And then we're told that we should never do that. First, because refilled water bottles are good at accumulating germs. One study shows that a water bottle that have been refilled repeatedly for a week while doing the gym has more bacterial colony per square centimeter than your average toilet seat. Secondly, because plastic and drinking water are not good together. Harmful chemicals from plastic can leach or migrate into the water and into our bloodstream.
Not surprisingly, bad company also "leach" bad behavior to those around them.
There seems to be a principle at work here. A bunch of good apples cannot make a single apple become good. The opposite seems to be true. A large volume of clean water cannot make a dirty water clean. Again the opposite seems to be true. Contamination can actually be very powerful in its effect. Thus, we are reminded today by the bible that if we want to live a blessed life, a life away from many troubles, we need to stay clear of wicked people. We should not heed their counsel, nor follow their path nor join them in their mockery of God or of anything holy and sacred (Psalms 1:1).
But what if the company of wicked people is not a matter of choice? What if the company is part of the family? What if we need to work with people like that, or to cooperate with such people to get things done? Then, we'd better be prepared to be strong to survive the influence and the possible "leaching" of bad behavior.
There's a difference between the unavoidable company and the desired company. Do the wicked people in our lives belong to the first category? Then we are a bit safer compared to those who actually desire and enjoy the company of close friends who are actually wicked. If the company of the wicked is unavoidable because there's a greater and higher purpose to accomplish, then we have our excuse. But if the company of the wicked is desired for its own sake, for the benefit of personal enjoyment that it brings to us, then we are in big trouble. Sooner or later, we will be corrupted by that company. There's no reason why a righteous person can find enjoyment in the company of a wicked person. The bible says, "Don't fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you" (1Co 15:33 CEV).
It's important to mention that bad influencers in our lives need not be actual persons. They can be things like gadgets, places, hobbies, etc. These sort are even more risky because they have a better way of hiding their bad effect, like that plastic bottle that hides its danger behind the clear water that it contains. The risk is doubled by the fact that they are almost always desirable company.
In my line of work, I can't avoid the company of wicked people. Apostle Paul warned about this unvoidable reality when he said, "In my other letter I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. But I wasn't talking about the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or greedy or who cheats or worships idols" (1Co 5:9-10 CEV). For unavoidable situations like this, Jesus tells us to "Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven" (Mat 5:16 CEV). In other words, here's a way to deal with bad company: be the influencer, not the influenced. And here's where it becomes necessary that we should be lights first or else darkness will also swallow us. This means that our life should be in order first, our morals should be straight and strong first, our life principles should be well established first. Without this initial preparedness, we are putting ourselves at great risk.
If the question is how to become that person whose light shines even in darkness, then the bible tells us to meditate on the law of the Lord, to delight in it and to desire its nourishment of our souls (Psalms 1:2). In due time, the word of God will speak to us and bring us to the realization of our need for a Savior, a Protector and a Friend who never leaves our side and therefore, even in bad company we will never be actually alone. That person is Jesus. He is the actual light (John 8:12) but with Him as our spiritual company, we tend to reflect His light and that's the only light that can quell the darkness of this wicked world.
(Picture credits to smartparenting.com.ph)
