Life on the Edge

"My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.
Then you will show discernment,
and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
For she cares nothing about the path to life.
She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
So now, my sons, listen to me.
Never stray from what I am about to say:
Stay away from her!
Don’t go near the door of her house!" Proverbs 5:1-8 NLT

The wise writer of Proverbs speaks to the danger of immorality. Now the Bible says that immorality is sin. So, for the sake of discussion, I would like us to consider the above passage not only as it applies to sexual immortality, but to sin in general. All sin.

The last verse is the one that really hammers it for me. The writer says to not even go near the door of sin. That's where I struggle at times and have give into sin.

The problem is that I like to live life on the edge. I was the kid that pushed boundaries and limits. I liked playing with fire. At times I still do, metaphorically speaking, and then I get burned.

The world around us and our culture is always calling us to sin's door. I think that the hearts of many Christians desire to please Jesus. The problem is, we sometimes also desire to please ourselves in ways that are spiritually, emotionally and physically harmful. And sometimes that desire is stronger than our desire to please Jesus. So we flirt with sin. Eventually the more we flirt, the closer to sin's door we get. The next thing we know, the door is slammed behind us and we are trapped. I know this first hand.

So what are we to do?

Stay away from sin! If you struggle with porn, put a blocker on your computer. Ask a friend to hold you accountable. If you are struggling with a inappropriate relationship, break it off, or at the very least, set and maintain accountable boundaries. If you struggle with an addiction, don't drive by your favorite bar. These are just a few examples. You get the point.

Look to Jesus, not sin's door. He promises help in our weakness. He's our strength--you can't do it alone. If you have given into sin, humbly give yourself to Jesus. He promises love and forgiveness.

So, how close to the edge are you right now?

"Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." Hebrews 12:1,2 NLT