Proverbs 23:6-8 - Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies,for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.
My father grew up in Mobile, Alabama, where fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was a way of life. His love for fresh fish never left him even after he moved inland to Missouri. When I was a child, it seemed like every week he would go down to some fish market and bring home some fresh fish. So for me, Friday wasn’t just the day between Thursday and Saturday…it was “Fish Fry Friday”.
I remember a time when we were eating catfish all the time. I liked catfish because I could eat chunks of meat. Then one Friday I noticed that the fish look a little different. But since it was “Fish Fry Friday” I decided to dive in as usual. On my first bite though, I felt something poking the roof of my mouth and tongue. I had to spit it out. Almost in tears I told my mom, “Hey, this isn’t catfish! I got poked in the mouth!” She then smiled and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you. Your father didn’t get catfish; he decided to get buffalo and carp fish today. You’ve got to watch out for the bones.” Why my father decided to get two of the boniest fish around, is still a mystery to me today.
As Christians, we have to always be aware that we live in a secular world that operates from a different worldview that is in opposition to the laws, principles and commands of God. If Believers begin to live life “out of character”, i.e., like the worldly, we may initially enjoy the pleasures of sin, but eventually we will end up with “a mouth full of bones”. Galatians 6:7-8 tells us that God will not be mocked, especially by those who have been sealed by His Precious Spirit. We will reap what we sow. James 4:4 tells us that “…friendship (fondness and warm affection) with the world is enmity (hostility) with God”. Friendship with the One leads to life; friendship with the other leads to separation and death.
Be mindful of how you live your life. A filet of carp may look good, but as I found out the hard way, it’s not catfish.
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