If you have children in your home then you probably have a number of trip hazards lying around. They may be in the form of a toy or shoe. Maybe you are like me and you have animals that offer opportunities for you to fall on your face. A couple of my dogs love to help me in the kitchen and even though they are not small dogs, they still lie around unnoticed and under my feet. Somehow they have the uncanny ability to come into the kitchen without any sound and lie right where I am headed next. It's not uncommon for me to trip over a tail, paw or nose and then be given the look of "What did I do?". Shoes and toys and pets are usual physical trip hazards, but what spiritual ones are lurking in your home?
For each one of us there are certain things, be it a behavior, action or recreation, that is a temptation for us. It may not be unlawful, but for each individual it is something to which God has told us "No". For me it is certain foods. I love ice cream and can sit down and eat a container of the stuff within a day! I know that this is a temptation for me so I remove this trip hazard by not keeping it in the house. Is ice cream illegal? Well no, but for me it becomes gluttony and that is a sin in the eyes of God. What trip hazards are in your home? Maybe an ice cold beer or a bottle of wine, the satellite package that you have in your home that offers sports 24/7 or X rated movies, possibly a big bag of cookies or maybe the computer. When the kids have left those toys or shoes on the floor, you either pick them yourself or you require the kids to do it but in any case, they are removed so they are no longer a danger. Our spiritual temptations need to be treated in the same fashion. They are just as dangerous and can cause serious injury or even death if we are not careful. I suggest that you go on a thorough search and remove those trip hazards from your home today!
Trip hazards don't only exist in our homes. They are pretty much everywhere. I can be tempted in a simple trip to town, at social gatherings and at the grocery store. For those who have problems with lust, you would have to wear blindfolds these days to not be exposed to stumbling blocks. People who trip over their quick temper can find hazards at work in an annoying co-worker. So how do we deal with these since we can't remove them entirely? We seek the help of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of self-control and wisdom. For example: I have a hard time going to town without the thought of buying myself a "treat"! I may be talking yummy fastfood, having a flavored coffee or even splurging and getting a "Blizzard" (my favorite!). Because I am aware that these are temptations for me, I need to prepare for my trips to town. I try to take a healthy snack with me and a bottle of water, I don't go to the grocery store hungry and I limit myself to a "treat" only every now and then. In all temptations God promises in His Word that He will provide a way out. It is up to us to identify the known temptations in our lives, to do all that we can to avoid them and above all to seek His wisdom for escape from the ones that come up without notice.
We do have an adversary who would like nothing more than to trip us up with every step that we take. If we are tripping with every step then forward progress is slow and difficult. Here is where the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" takes on new meaning. Spiritual prevention includes awareness of our surroundings, a keen sense of our weaknesses and the humility to go to God for assistance. If we take these things very seriously and watch where we step, then God will keep us safe as we face each hazard. If we ignore them, deny them or even try to tackle them on our own, we will fail every time.
1st Corinthians 10:12-13 and James 1:13-15
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