Every player and every coach knows the importance of “culture” on the team. Culture results from and then, in turn, causes, attitude, beliefs, behaviors, and experiences. Developing a winning culture is the goal of every coach. Being mired in a losing, negative, and cynical culture is every coach’s and player’s nightmare. I’ve been on both sides, playing and coaching within great and awful cultures.
Interestingly, it usually takes only a few players or coaches to sway culture one way or the other. In an otherwise positive culture that would lead to great success, a few disgruntled players can ruin it. On the other hand, a coach and group of players who inherit a negative culture can indeed turn it around. It’s amazing what influence one or a few can have.
It’s equally amazing what kind of influence one person, a few people, one decision, a few decisions can ave in our lives.
Proverbs 2:13–“…from those who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness…”
In the few verses before this one, the author wrote about how wisdom from God protects from the influence of the kinds of people in verse 13. The way God looks at it, there are those who are upright (living according to God’s holiness and wisdom) and those who are evil (living according to their own desires). It only takes one or a few of them to have great impact on the “culture” of your life, and their influence isn’t always overt–it’s often very subtle.
Proverbs 2 tells us that the wisdom of God, when applied to our daily lives, protects us from those who would otherwise lead us astray. It’s God’s wisdom that helps us understand the subtle nature of evil and ungodly influences.
Just as a negative and cynical culture destroys a team, so will sinful influences destroy your life. Lean heavily on God’s wisdom today.
Lord Jesus, I know you are the ultimate representation of God’s wisdom, so I turn to you. Be my greatest influence and guide. Protect me from my sinful nature and my sinful desires. Guard me against the ungodly influences that surround me. Amen.
