Proverbs 14:12-13
There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.
Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,
but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Someone brought my mother-in-law some wonderful chocolates from Scotland. We were visiting her one day, and she offered us each a piece, commenting on how good the candy tasted. I politely declined, since I am allergic to chocolate, and she said, “I really don’t think just a little taste would hurt you.” Greg replied…”It might only put her in the ER and not actually admit her to the hospital!” There are plenty of times when I have to make a choice with regard to foods… particularly when I am uncertain of all of the ingredients. If I have even the slightest doubt, I opt to skip it. Trust me… there have been plenty of tempting and tantalizing foods that I so wanted to try – and they looked “harmless enough”… but I knew that they at least held the potential to send me to the ER… if not to kill me!!
I know this sounds overly dramatic. While I have been whisked to the hospital or clinic a few times, I have thankfully never been at death’s door over an allergic reaction. But sadly, a lot of us tinker with “death” of sorts on a regular basis in our daily living. We do things that we know displease God. We “sew our wild oats” and figure we will “square things” with God later. As my former pastor John Miles often said, “Sin can be fun!” But the consequences of sin are anything but a laughing matter.
The next time you start to share a juicy tidbit of gossip with friends, ask yourself… “What’s the payoff?” When you are at a party and things start to take an unsavory direction, consider whether you should stick around… or whether you should have accepted the invitation in the first place. If someone asks you to cover for them, and you think this would make things easier for you in your relationship with this person… or your job… or your standing in the church/school/community… weigh the consequences. Will it really make things easier in the long run… or are you choosing a short-term solution?
Every day, we make life or death decisions. They may not be of the “Will this kill me if I eat it?” variety… but the results are essentially just as critical. Before you choose temporary fun and laughter, consider the long-term ramifications. You’ve heard the adage… “One minute on the lips… forever on the hips.” Think of it in spiritual terms… “One minute of “harmless enough” fun…forever in heartbreak and misery.” The risk is too high… the price is too costly. In the words of Joshua 24:15… “If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.”
Will you choose momentary fun and a good time… or the blessings of God’s favor and eternal life? The ball is totally in your court!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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