Recognizing a Sinful Path – Proverbs in Practice
How, former procrastinators, do we recognize a path of sin? Such a path often looks benign, yet scripture cautions us to avoid it. The early chapters of Proverbs address this.
Proverbs 7 describes a young man who lacks sense and the seductress who captures him. The lesson regards sexual immorality. But the pattern here is a common one we can learn from for other sins, including procrastination: exposing oneself to wrong, giving attention to wrong, giving in to wrong, paying a price due to wrong. Verse 22 begins “All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter…” However, the 14 verses preceding 22 describe the path along which the young man willingly walked.
Here are some sinful path characteristics that stand out to me from Proverbs 1-7. If we look closely, we will likely find some of the following elements present in the opportunity offered by the path of sin or by the people involved:
Easy availability / a special opportunity just for you / just right for you now (7:10-21) [Think “target”]
Appealing (5:3) [Think “my besetting sin?”]
Easier to do or follow than not to (5:1-2) [Think “bait on a hook”]
Rewards promised (1:13-14, 7:16-18) [Think “consequences”]
Disregard for advice (1:30, 3:5-7) [Think “independent, ignorant”)
Lack of godly counsel (1:8-9, 15-16, 23 [Think “Look for wise advice.”]
Counsel from dubious sources (1:11-14) [Think “What’s the fruit of their lives?”]
Selfish Disregard for others (7:19) [Think “What’s the impact?”]
Companions to join (1:11-14) [Think “What’s the nature of this crowd?”]
Greedy for gain they don’t work for/that comes at the expense of others/ that comes quickly (1:19, 3:9-10) [Think “What ‘s true wealth? What’s faithful stewardship?”]
No fear of the Lord (1:29-31) [Think “There will be calamity.”]
Lack of discipline (5:23) [Think “self-centered”]
Nobody else sees/knows/cares (5:21) [Think “God is watching”]
Goes against the Word of God (2:1-16) [Think “Who is my God?”]
Something doesn’t seem right / it’s too good to be true (4:13-15) [Think “I don’t have to be able to explain it, I just need to steer clear.”]
Entry onto a path of sin can be very easy. That’s why we need to be alert.
The woman who says “I don’t want ice cream in the house” recognizes a path of sin that entices her. Other possible sinful paths: setting the alarm for snooze, scheduling a party when a large work project is due, getting on the computer, responding to a remark best ignored, thinking the Bible might be mistaken about an issue, etc.
God gives wisdom. By His grace, we need not stumble or step in the direction of sin.
What path of sin are you aware of and make sure to stay away from?
