Stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.
—Job 21:16
Happiness doesn’t always come from indulgence; sometimes, it comes from abstinence—not always from what we do, but sometimes from what we don’t do.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of scoffers” (Ps 1:1)
The psalmist lists three things happy people don’t do:
- They don’t walk in the counsel of the wicked—they maintain control of their direction.
- They don’t stand in the way of sinners—they maintain control of their leisure.
- They don’t sit in the seat of scoffers—they maintain control of their disposition.
Say “No!” to undisciplined direction, to the influence of sinful companions, and to the assumed superiority of scoffers.
Happiness is a by-product of
what we do—and don’t do.