Evil Apples, Video Edition
A Fool’s Path
A wise man is cautious and turns from evil…a man’s own foolishness leads him astray.
– Proverbs 14:6a & 19:3a
When I think about Jesus’ call on our life to enter in the narrow gate and avoid the broad path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7), I congratulate myself for choosing the narrow path when I was seven. Once on the narrow path, always on the narrow path…right?
As I continue to follow Christ into adulthood, I am learning that every decision I make creates a new path in my life. But this metaphorical narrow path has exit signs every two minutes or so inviting me to inadvertently merge onto the broad path.
Proverbs instructs us that a wise man turns away from evil whereas a foolish man turns toward it and is led astray. Vague definitions and descriptions of “evil” create barriers for us to reflect on this warning personally. We tend to think, “Of course I’m not running toward EVIL!”
Smokey the Bear in Oven Mitts
Why are my oven mitts also an inch too short when I use them? I have expert skills when it comes to burning myself in the kitchen. I’m running cold water over my finger in the sink before I can figure out what went wrong. The Lord created our bodies with automatic defense mechanisms such as pulling your hand away when it comes into contact with a hot surface. I don’t stand there and think to myself, “Hey Renae, the knuckle of your thumb has reached an unbearable temperature since it has come into contact with the oven rack. Let’s move our hand rapidly away from this heat.” If I had to think through that motion, I would be blistered every time. That reaction saves my skin additional pain.
Unfortunately, not all of our defensive reactions prevent pain. There’s always that tongue of ours that James 3 warns us about. James tells us it’s a restless evil, full of poison, able to set the largest of forests on fire.
Better put Smokey the Bear on high alert because these tongues of our are deadly. We don’t need microphones, megaphones, or large platforms, just a small kindling will do. A harsh word in anger or frustrated complaint when patience is worn thin.
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