In the midst of the most extensive teaching on the Resurrection in the Scripture, there were two verses that caught my eye. Even at his theological best, Paul always has a practical spin. For Paul theology affects living. Thinking about God and God’s Ways is supposed to influence how we live.
Verses 33-34 were the ones that caught my attention, Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame.
Loosing sight of the resurrection, thinking that maybe it was not going to happen, opened the door for the some Corinthians to dive head long into sin. Why live God’s Way? It doesn’t matter anyway?” might have been their thinking.
I love Paul’s direct words. "Bad company corrupts good character." The quotation marks suggest this was a proverb from his day. Proverb or not, it is true! Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning, Paul pleads!
Who we hang with matters. God doesn’t want us to withdraw from the world and people who don’t know Jesus. We are to be a light to them. BUT who is influencing whom?
This is my meditative thought for today. Who is influencing whom… who is influencing me?
If certain people are a negative influence on me then I need to eliminate the bad influence and the sin I am embracing because of it.
"Bad company corrupts good character." As I mull on this, I realized that in our digital age, bad company can have a digital facet. And the bad company need not be physically present in our digital age. A person’s music, movies, webinars, blogs, YouTubes, Twitter feeds and the like can be corrupting me if I am giving them more credence in my life than say, the Word of God or brothers and sisters in Christ.
I need to consider if any bad company I am hanging around is influencing me away from Jesus and godly living. And if so, I need to end the relationship and/or turn off the digital connection for the sake of godliness.
Think about it…
To You, Oh Lord, and to none other have I sworn allegiance. Show me chinks in my armor where I am letting ‘bad characters’ unduly influence me to sin that I may cut off the sin-filled influence and live more wholly for You. In Jesus’ name and for Your sake, Oh God –Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
How very true. Thank you.
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