Scripture
“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 scoffer; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
PSALM 1
Quotes/Color
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Teddy Roosevelt
“If you don’t invest very much, then defeat doesn’t hurt very much… and victory isn’t that exciting.”
Dick Vermeil
“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”
Dale Carnagie
Context
One of my favorite passages of Scripture and one of my favorite quotes (the Theodore Roosevelt one).
What a temptation it is in life to self-righteously sit in our own laziness/sin, point at others and scoff. What a temptation it is in life to timidly pursue things that mean a great deal to us, fail, and convince ourselves that we never really cared that much about it in the first place.
Have you ever done either of those things? Both rooted in passivity/indifference?
Overcoming indifference and showing that you care is an obstacle every young person (particularly every young man, I think) has to learn to overcome. It is a difficult uphill battle and one that many of us, myself included, still grapple with daily.
It is really hard to be a 15 year old kid and show that you care for your friends, admire your superiors and care deeply about honorably doing well at the things in life. If you are a teenage boy, indifference is cool. Heck, if you are a full-grown adult, indifference is cool. Sitting back and scoffing at someone else is a far easier way to live.
Looking at it from afar… Doesn’t it look so freeing? Doesn’t it look so easy, effortless and cool? It certainly is tempting.
But not trying, not caring, folding your arms, kicking your feet up and scoffing at others who aim to work hard/do good… I promise you. This is no way to live.
Application
So many applications that can be taken away from this passage and this quote. So let’s try to unpack a few about cynicism/indifference/passivity. As all of these are massively prevalent in the world and deep temptations for each of us.
- “It is not the critic who counts” – any “stupid idiot” (a term one of my mentors used to use) can sit back, criticize and scoff at others. It is a far more difficult task to earnestly work hard and find the good in things.
2. Wickedness/Indifference has a heck of a gravitational pull – look at the progression in Psalm 1… The scoffer first WALKS in the counsel of the wicked (wondered into the wrong area). Then STANDS in the way of sinners (stopped walking – “These guys may have a point, I’ll get a bit comfortable here.”. Then finally SITS in the seat of the scoffer (stopped standing next to wickedness, took his shoes off and made himself at home with wickedness entirely – now mocks righteousness.).
Resist the gravitational pull of wickedness by making Christ the center of your life. Otherwise you may be pulled into an orbit of cynicism, indifference and sin.
3. Reject passivity – unless you intentionally live otherwise, you will slip into passivity. It is easier to mock than encourage – that doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. It is easier to quit than it is to persist – that does not mean it is the right thing to do. It is easier to give minimal effort than it is to give it your all – that does not mean it is the right thing to do. It is easier to take the path of least resistance, the path of sure success than it is to face a challenge with bravery – that does not mean it is the right thing to do.
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” Be a part of the action. Work hard, get your hands dirty and show that you care to see things through. Take part in God’s kingdom. Don’t sit idly by.
4. “Delight in the law of the Lord” – really delight in it. It’s tough to be a cynic/scoffer when you’re steeped in words from a loving God.
Something to Chew On:
- Have you settled comfortably into passivity/indifference? Where in life have you kicked your feet back, folded your arms, pointed at others and scoffed recently?
- Have you convinced yourself it is safer not to try? If so, in what areas of your life?
Great Value Proverb:
Don’t be afraid to let people see you care deeply and try hard. It’s easier to be indifferent, but not worth it.