In the face of present scandals, we should all be warned!
Proverbs 5:1-6 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; and her ways wander, and she does not know it.
Proverbs 6:27-29 Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.
There are all kinds of reactions to the present Patraeus scandal. Titillation, gossip, defending, stonewalling are all happening. For those of us who watch, it should be a modern-day warning. It should be a reminder of what covenant means and the damage broken covenants cause.
Here are some thoughts that are rattling around my soul this morning that might keep me from scandal.
1. Youthful lusts are not just for the young. Strive for purity until the day you climb in the box.
2. Take time to ponder the path of life. You have one chance to walk it.
3. If it has to be kept secret, it shouldn’t be. God lives in the light of day.
4. When we lie to our husbands or wives, we are lying to God.
5. The consequences of our choices ruin more than our present lives, they can ruin our eternity.
It seems to me, we have leaders who have forgotten the wisdom of the ages – the wisdom of God. May we each watch and be warned.
How do you react to the things you see?