Thursday, April 14, 2011

Be Ever Watchful

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. -- Genesis 13:10-11a

It looked good. Really. It did. Lot and Abram were parting ways and Abram told Lot to choose where he wanted to go. So Lot chose what looked best. I can understand that. It's all about economics, even back then. Lot wanted the best grazing lands and plenty of water for himself.

Lot probably wasn't worried that the land was really close to Sodom. So what? He wasn't worried that the people of Sodom were wicked and greatly sinning against God. He could resist the temptations. Sodom's evil ways wouldn't interfer with the prosperity Lot planned for himself. Nope. Lot wasn't worried at all. He should have been. And so should we when we choose to spend time with people who don't follow God's laws.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to ignore nonbelievers. We're supposed to help them and tell them about Jesus. We're supposed to be a good influence on them. We're also supposed to be watchful so that we don't fall into temptation. When it comes to hanging out, who you hang around with really does matter.

It's something we think about when we're giving advice to teenagers. We urge them to choose their friends wisely. We caution them to spend time with people who have similar beliefs. We instruct them to plan social activities with other Christians. We want them to surround themselves with people who follow God's laws.

Why do we think that no longer matters when we reach adulthood? Because it does. We're just as likely to fall into temptation as someone younger. Oh, one quick drink after work with a friend's spouse won't matter. What's one padded expense report when everyone does it? What's one tiny lie? And on and on. Where does it stop? Because one excuse follows another excuse and the slide downward happens quickly.

Don't ever let your guard down. Don't ever believe that you are strong enough to stand alone against Satan and his temptations. Arm youselves with God's Word. Surround yourself with fellow believers. Pray without ceasing. Draw strength from God and stand firm on His rock. Don't let anyone or anything tempt you into believing that happiness and prosperity can be found among people and things that are contrary to God's law.