Saturday Sermonette - Nor sit in the seat of the scornful

Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

In fact, just dig out your Bible and read that whole psalm. It's beautiful, and so right on the money.

In a more modern way of saying this, you will be blessed (happy, feelin' good about yourself) if you don't take the advice of someone who goes the opposite way God goes, if you don't find yourself standing up for the people who reject God (you might find them in politics, in bars, or even in a church), or if you don't put yourself above others.

I'm concentrating today on the scornful.

Isn't that what scorn is? Putting yourself above someone else? Come on, admit it, you've done this: driving down the street, the guy in front of you jams on his brakes and suddenly turns. "Nice signal, there, dude," you murmur. Thus indicating of course you would never do something that stupid.

Years ago in Phoenix I had an anxious evening. My young son (age about 12) had gone to a nearby apartment complex to the south of us to hang out with a friend. I told him to be home by sundown. He wasn't.

I watched the road for several minutes while the colors in the sky faded. I got into the car, drove to the apartment complex. He wasn't there. I drove back northward toward our home at a much slower speed than the other drivers, staring hard down each street and into other apartment complexes, occasionally even tapping the brakes. Worse, I was in the high-speed lane. Drivers went past blaring their horns and I'm sure "waving" at me, but I ignored them the best I could.

Had they but known, the other drivers might not have felt so scornful of the woman driving like an idiot in the center lane, but they didn't know.

Sitting in the scorner's seat suddenly became more real for me. I haven't looked at "crazy drivers" in quite the same way since--although I still am guilty of scorning without thinking on occasion. God's not finished with me yet.

The same is true for every area of life. We scorn other people's dressing habits, inability to see the obvious answer to a problem, or lack of physical ability. Maybe it's time to instead try to sit in the other person's seat. It might not be as comfortable or as self-rewarding as the scorner's seat, but possibly--just possibly--better for us.

May God bless us all as we grow up in Him and forgive us when we creep back into our old ways--as we forgive those who turn suddenly in front of us.