What Do You Want to Be (Psalm 1)
Greek philosopher Epictetus wrote, “You become what you give your attention to.” I can almost guarantee you have experienced this phenomenon yourself. At one time or another you found yourself scrolling through social media and hanging on every word an influencer spoke. Soon, you realized the power that individual had over your thoughts, your actions, your decisions. Or maybe you got hooked on a specific news channel and viewed the world only through the lens they provided. In other words, you became what you gave your attention to. Epictetus was not dumb…he understood how we could be affected by something we might never have allowed if we didn’t spend the time in that arena.
Epictetus later wrote a statement that expanded on this; “Other people’s views and troubles can be contagious. Don’t sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes through your associations with others.” Together, these two statements warn us against those who would drag us down a dark path, absorbing our positivity and transforming us into something we are not.
As we crack open what the book of Psalms has for us today, we cannot but help notice that centuries before Epictetus, the writer understood this same principle.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” The first verse of the first psalm starts off with a bang. If we want to be effective in our corner of the world, then it is best we understand two facts about this verse. The first one centers on admonishing us against listening to the recommendations or guidance from those who are ungodly. Are those who the writer is describing here going to have conversations with us? Of course! But when we begin to entertain those words, we will inevitably start to have problems. The second fact is this: stand and sit are two words that paint a picture of someone who has actively stopped and joined those who the writer would caution us against. In other words, he says, “You’ve been forewarned.”
It is here that I want to be clear…I am not saying don’t interact with people who are sinners. I mean, we are all sinners, so there must be something more to what he is saying. There is, and it is this…if we actively absorb (sitting and standing in their self-created environment) what it is the scornful and ungodly are selling, then we are doing the exact thing, Epictetus warned us of. The words and actions can take hold and become a contagion.
So, if we are to be that city on a hill that Matthew refers to, how do we navigate against becoming the sinful, scornful, and ungodly, all while not neglecting them? The answer is in the next verse. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” We must live in the Word. It must be a part of our DNA. The writer says the one that is blessed is the one who mediates day and night. Obviously, it is not a literal 24-hour requirement, but it is also not just a few moments here and there to ease our conscience of convenience in a half-hearted attempt at what Jesus is really calling us to…transformative, Spirit-filled discipleship. And when we are obedient to meditating on God’s word, we become next-level concerned for those are lost in the dark. Our compassion grows. Our actions begin to reflect Christ. We provide ministry to those lingering on the path of sin. We meet the needs of those wasting away in bitterness. We bathe in prayer those making life choices that lead to death.
Let me close this first Annales Psalmorum (Chronicles of the Psalms) with how we started…Epictetus’ words. “You become what you give your attention to.” I cannot think of any better person to strive to become like, than Jesus. And if Epictetus’ words mean anything, it is going to take us giving our attention to Jesus and the life he lived.
