PROVERBS 16:29: A violent and exceedingly covetous man entices his neighbor [to sin], And leads him in a way that is not good. (AMP)
A few years ago a manufacturing company bought an old warehouse from another company and remodeled it to make it their main office. The offices and customer areas looked good as new, but in the back of the warehouse, there were areas where oil had seeped into the concrete floor over time.
Under the right conditions (hot and humid weather), oil would seep out of the floor and create a slipping hazard. Some spots were obvious because you could see the sheen of the oil on the floor. This made it easy to avoid slipping and falling. But other areas were less obvious. They were often in the shadows and dark sections of the warehouse. If you did slip, you had no control of the consequences from the fall. You could incur anywhere from a slight bump to a broken bone.
For all of us, sin is like oil that has seeped down in the concrete floor. It’s part of our fallen nature. Some areas of sin we are more aware, and can easily avoid the temptation; just like walking around the shiny areas of the warehouse floor.
But there are other “oily” areas in our lives that under the right conditions, enticements, or persuasion, would cause us to fall. And like slipping on an oily floor, we can’t control the outcome of the fall.
Proverbs 13:20 reminds us that we become like those with whom we associate: fools or wise men/women, crafty devious people, or people of integrity who fear God.
Who do you associate with most of the time? Are there any “crafty” or devious people in your circle? If so, conditions may be developing to expose “oily” areas of your life. If so, be careful. The floor is slippery when its wet.
Comments