Proverbs 1:7-157Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline8My child,* listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction.9What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck10My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!11They may say, "Come and join us. Let's hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let's ambush the innocent!12Let's swallow them alive, like the grave*; let's swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.13Think of the great things we'll get!We'll fill our houses with all the stuff we take14Come, throw in your lot with us; we'll all share the loot."15My child, don't go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.
but fools despise wisdom and discipline8My child,* listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction.9What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck10My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!11They may say, "Come and join us. Let's hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let's ambush the innocent!12Let's swallow them alive, like the grave*; let's swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.13Think of the great things we'll get!We'll fill our houses with all the stuff we take14Come, throw in your lot with us; we'll all share the loot."15My child, don't go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.
Peer Pressure is something all of us face on a daily basis. It doesn't matter how young or old we are we face the pressure to do something we shouldn't. As you read the remainder of Proverbs 1 it talks about how others call us to ambush the innocent. In verses 10 and 15 of Proverbs 1 it cautions us to not take part in acts of sin. It asks us to Turn our backs and stay away from those paths.
I was issued the cold water challenge. I really do not know where this challenge originated. (Someone can enlighten me.) I am assuming that it is to resemble your commitment and belief in Christ and your sacrifice to follow him. A sacrifice that is not easy due to the chill in the air and the temperature of the water. The cold water challenge would be very hard for me to do as a chill in my body results in pain in my back and neck. (I broke my neck years ago. Bet you didn't know that.) However, the cold water challenge would be over and done with in a matter of minutes. I am going to issue a challenge that will take me through the day. There are many ways an individual can find themselves joining in with the group. As in verse 11 it says "Come and join us. Let's hide and kill someone!" I feel like we can equate "killing someone" with not actual death but by just being unkind. One unkind sin that "ambushes the innocent" is bringing someone down with our words. How often do we ambush the innocent with our tongues? Raising my hand because I am very guilty of this. As children of God we have got to realize we are not the ONLY child of God and his love is like a blanket and spreads over all of us. To bring another down, which is very easy to do, and then encouraging others to take part is bringing harm to someone God loves as much as he does us. So my challenge today for you is not the cold water challenge. My challenge to you today is not to bring someone down with your words. I am going to assure you, this is going to be tougher than you think. Listen to the words you are saying. Do they lift one another up or do they bring someone down?
Cold water challenge- I will see if I get it done. But this challenge--is going to be tough for me to complete.
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