To Come Along or Not to Come Along
In Proverbs 1:11, the author is describing a situation where someone is being invited to participate in an activity with a group of friends. The invitation is to “lie in wait for innocent blood” and to “ambush some harmless soul.” The invitee has a decision to make- will he go with the group and follow their activities or will he decline and go his own way? He cannot ignore or erase this situation- the invitation has been extended and demands a response.
In this example, there will be positive or negative effects. If the person decides to follow, he will be participating in hurting someone. If he declines, then he risks insulting his friends. In the long term, if he participates then he will become more comfortable with poor decisions and pull further away from God. If he does not participate, then he will become more comfortable with doing good and become closer to God.
We are faced daily with situations where we make decisions to follow or to retreat. Even though we were not expecting or prepared to face such a decision, we must respond.
Although this example of hurting someone (“let’s ambush some harmless soul”) is very crude, in other contexts, sin can be challenging and hard to resist. Gossip, Lying, Cheating, Disrespecting, Lusting, Hating, Jealousy are all subtle, seemingly innocent examples of invitations that stare us in the face asking us to respond.
The title for this passage of scripture is “Warnings Against the Invitation of Sinful Men.” Friends, Family, Coworkers, and Neighbors can all be very influential in our lives in good and bad ways. Jesus loved sinful men but he was never influenced by them. How can we protect ourselves from unknown and unforeseeable invitations?
When someone says to you, “Come along with us,” what will be your response? What situations are you comfortable participating in and what situations could led to dishonoring God or others?
Mrs. Darcy,
Wow…you lay it out there – the truth – for us to realize how easy it is to become comfortable with poor decisions which result in pulling away from God.
Thank you!
“come along with us” and “innocent blood” seem to be grabbing me here.
with so much injustice locally and globally, where do I merely “go along” with the injustice and hurt of “innocent blood.” I’m convinced I’m certainly not doing enough. sometimes I’m paralyzed by the whole of what needs to be done.
Lord, help me to see where you are working and then jump in. Help me to hear YOUR voice louder than anyone else’s.
thanks, ashley, for your thoughts and words. appreciate all that you and jay are for the Kingdom…
blessings,
alan