My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. —Psalm 101:6–7
David was seeking to practice some good housekeeping by surrounding himself, not with those who were perfect, but with those who walked in a perfect way (the way of the Lord is the obvious implication). Though we need to be careful about living in a Christian cocoon, we need to be just as careful about what we allow into our homes and whom we allow in our presence. This was obviously foundational for what Paul would later write about not being unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14).
The issue for David wasn’t—nor is it for us—one of thinking he was better than others. Rather, the issue was about creating an environment that minimized the opportunities to be dragged down by others while maximizing the possibilities to be strengthened by others.
We are not to shelter ourselves from all contact with the world, for the world is our mission field. But like David, we must monitor our close relationships, our confidants. We would do well to measure and guard our fellowship, for at one time or another, we have probably experienced the reality of having a friend who was bad for us. Maybe it was someone fun or someone we just clicked with, but for us as Christians, it is like having fellowship with those we are supposed to be in ministry to.
Are our houses, our hearts, and our minds places where we can dwell safely, or have we surrounded ourselves with opportunities to fail or be pulled down morally or spiritually? Even as I write this, I sense strongly that some have in mind a person who is damaging their walk with God. If that is you, don’t abandon the relationship; just change it. Turn it from fellowship into ministry, and watch things change. Either the person will begin to walk with you in the perfect way, or he or she will say, “Things are different in your house now, and I am going another way.” Either way, you have done what is best and right as one who follows the Lord.
Excerpt from “Body Builders” now available on Amazon.
