Psalm 1:1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
Few fictional characters so fully embody wickedness, sin, and scorn as that of Screwtape in C.S. Lewis’s classic The Screwtape Letters. Screwtape mentors his nephew in securing the damnation of a British man, known only as “the Patient.”
Screwtapes are everywhere, often hidden in plain sight. In college, I was acquainted with a Screwtape who impressed me with wit, subtlety, and intelligence. We spent hours in lively discussions. Over time, deprecating attitudes against religion emerged, and this Screwtape belittled my faith. Tired of being my Screwtape’s patient, I ended the friendship.
This psalm forthrightly identifies the happy as those who avoid characters marked by impiety and open hostility to God. While the Screwtapes of the world derive their happiness by condemning the godly and obstructing their path, the godly will ensure theirs by never sitting down with the scornful. The intimate relationship they enjoy with God keeps them out of harm’s way.
MOVING FORWARD: Is there a Screwtape in your life right now? What steps can you take to move toward happiness and away from the scornful?
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