Psalms 1:1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
In this powerful psalm, God reveals to us how to succeed in life His way. As mentioned previously, true success is God-shaped success. So here we are talking specifically about that kind of success that is approved by God and which does not have adverse spiritual side effects. We call it supernatural success.
Now, the first key to supernatural success is to reject ungodly counsel. Some counsel must be rejected purely on account of the counsellor. This truth is hidden to most of us!
You see, God is not accusing us of being wicked here. He just admonishes us to distance ourselves from the advice of ungodly or wicked folks. That means you may not be evil yourself but you’ll suffer because of your submission to the counsel of wicked people. We don’t have to be sinners to be influenced and ruined by sinners’ ideas!
Both without and within the church, there are people who don’t hesitate to dispense toxic advice. Not all ideas are innocent! Some ideas are like sugar-coated poison. They are sweet and simultaneously fatal. That’s how satanic deception works.
Deception is basically truth-coated lies! There are people whose consciences are virtually nonexistent and will mislead others without any qualms. Beware who you listen to! Mind the counsel you receive. If you want to succeed in life God’s way, you’ve got to be more selective as far as the SOURCE of your counsel is concerned.
Biblically, what makes counsel worthy is not so much its brilliance but its source. The advisor is more important than the advice. Integrity is superior to information. The character of the counsellor is more important than the quality of the counsel itself. Why?
One reason has been covered above already. It’s the risk of deception. The enemy of our souls has to package lies in such disguised forms that even good people can be fooled if he has any hope of winning some. The Bible calls them “wiles” or schemes, or cunning craftiness. Isn’t that how the first couple fell? See Genesis 3.
So many lives have been ruined by careless submission to ungodly counsellors, mentors and friends. So many marriages, friendships, and ministries have been shipwrecked by the bad company some innocent Christians keep. It doesn’t matter how charismatic that person is, if they are not godly, don’t follow them. It doesn’t matter how beautiful, smart or charming they are-if they’re immoral, don’t heed their counsel. That is if you wish to succeed in life God’s way.
Pastor Josh