When Sin Entices...

A Proverbs Tour

I love the wisdom of Proverbs and often use that book to teach my kids life lessons. In fact, the kids and I are memorizing the first couple of chapters, with the goal of writing that wisdom on our hearts. One part we have fun acting out is this:

"My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say, 'Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Let’s ambush the innocent! Let’s swallow them alive as the grave swallows its victims. Though they are in the prime of life, they will go down into the pit of death. And the loot we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all kinds of things! Come on, throw in your lot with us; we’ll split the loot with you.' Don’t go along with them, my child! Stay far away from their paths…." (Proverbs 1:10-15 NLT)

I know. Kind of weird to think of having fun with a passage that speaks of murder. But it’s SO far out that we can have fun acting out the parts on a kid level as we talk about peer pressure.

Last night, though, the passage came to mind, and I thought about how important it is for us “older people” to heed. No, most of us needn’t worry about getting caught up in murder, but that was used as one example. The admonition says broadly, “If sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” Now we might be hitting home.

Think about the friends in your social circle or even extended family members. Do they entice you to do things that aren’t right in God’s eyes? If you followed them, would the road lead to drunkenness, lying, cheating, or sexual immorality (to name a few)?

But beyond the people we know who might entice us, there’s popular culture—television, movies, music, and even the news. Most of what’s out there is contrary to God. They want to entice us to watch or listen to ungodly things, to do ungodly things, and more dangerously, to believe ungodly things.

God calls us higher. He wants us to be discerning, to know the truth from a lie. He wants us to recognize when a road leads nowhere good. When sin tries to entice us, He wants us to turn our back on it, and instead, to lead others down the right path.

Heavenly Father, I pray for the strength to withstand temptation. Give me discernment to know right from wrong, the truth from a lie. Protect me from the enemy, who seeks to lead me down the wrong path. I want to follow You and You alone, down the narrow path that leads to life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.