The World’s Influence

The Book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom – wisdom on how to live one’s life.  One of its early pieces of advice is this: “My son, if sinners entice thee consent thou not.” (Proverbs 1:10)  The passage then continues to warn against joining with thieves and murderers.  But the principle applies more broadly.  We must not let a sinful world seduce us to do any kind of evil.  Exodus 23:2 says, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.”  In Psalm 1:1 there is a blessing pronounced upon the man that “walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

What we see and hear can have a tremendous influence on our lives.  We must, therefore, always be on guard that the world does not draw us away from God’s standard.  In speech we must not imitate the world’s profanity; in dress we must not follow society in immodest apparel.  We must beware that we are not caught up in the world’s emphasis on material success.  We must not let our secular society steer our eye away from heaven and things eternal.

Claude