"The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it. ... Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he who guards himself will be far from them" (Proverbs 22:3 & 5).
A wise person will not go through life at high speed ignoring the warning signs, that is the way of the naive and they will suffer for it. But the wise person will slow down, and carefully analyse the path ahead to make sure that they do not fall into the potholes.
Just a Thought!
© 2012
When on the road and you see a sign that says, as is typical in South Africa, "Danger, Potholes Ahead," do you ignore the warning and pick up speed and plough straight ahead as though the sign does not apply to you? No, only a fool would do that. Generally you would slow down, or at the very least, remain alert in order to avoid any potholes that could cause damage to your vehicle.
Yet with life, how often do we go about ignoring the warning signs of the impending dangers of sin? We treat them as though they do not apply to us, as though as believers we have some kind of immunity to them. Today's verses, and indeed many others in the Bible, are a stern warning to be aware of the sin that so easily entangles.
What Does Evil Look Like?
People are tempted by evil in many different forms, and it is not always something blatant. For example, living a healthy life is good and commendable, however, if you become so obsessed with it that it takes first place in your life to the extent that your relationship with God and others takes a back seat, then you are slipping into the area of idolatry. Taking care of one's health is not sinful, but the extent of the desire could be.
For other areas of life certain temptations are so obvious and are easy to recognise. The temptation to flirt with an attractive woman at work is an obvious warning sign that there is danger ahead that not only leads to unfaithfulness to your wife, but has eternal implications as well (refer to the seventh commandment).
Other warning signs of danger ahead could be watching too much TV, or watching the wrong things on TV, associating with the wrong people on a too casual basis where their behaviour is starting to affect yours, not praying or reading the Bible as often as you should, neglecting to go to church on a regular basis, lying to cover up a bad attitude or behaviour. All of these, and thousands like them, serve as warnings on our journey of life.
Avoiding Life's Potholes
Any normal human being enjoys things that give pleasure. Whether it be food, entertainment, or socialising, everyone of us has those things that give us some form of pleasure and excitement in life. Many of the things we enjoy may not be sinful, but there are those things that are. It is our responsibility to make sure that we do not miss the warning signs. We need to be discerning and not open-minded to the pleasures of the sinful nature. We need to heed the warning sings, and as our proverbs above tell us, to hide and guard ourselves from them.
A wise person will not go through life at high speed ignoring the warning signs, that is the way of the naive and they will suffer for it. But the wise person will slow down, and carefully analyse the path ahead to make sure that they do not fall into the potholes.
But this warning actually applies to all areas of life, even the things that are not sinful in and of themselves. We need to constantly evaluate the things that we do and make sure that we are not enjoying the good things in excess, and that our desire for the good things is not turning them into compulsions. As I mentioned earlier, to desire something more than God is stepping into the area of idolatry, which is breaking the second commandment.
Therefore, ask yourself today, are you enjoying the things in life that are not allowed in the Bible? Are you enjoying the good things in life at the expense of your relationship with God and others? Are your desires for other things overtaking your desire for God? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions then the warning sign is right in front of you today. It is up to you to choose to obey it or not. If you answered "no", then do not fall into the trap of pride, but continue to heed the warning signs. They are there for your protection.
© 2012
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