Flee!

I am terrified of snakes. Absolutely, completely, ridiculously terrified. Even seeing the word "snake" causes me to tense up. I don't care if the snake is big, little, alive or dead - I'm terrified regardless.

Yesterday afternoon, as the sun shone brilliantly in a bright blue sky, I took off on a run. Less than a quarter of a mile from home, on a seemingly innocent bike path, I saw a snake! I hardly even noticed it, and probably wouldn't have, if it hadn't slithered closer to the grass as I ran past. When I looked down on saw the black, squiggly snake, I propelled myself into the air and down the path with a scream. I probably could have qualified for state track with the height of my jump and the quickness of my sprint down the path . . . Seeing the snake gave me such a spook that I didn't even take the bike path on my return trip; instead, I looped farther around and took the road. There was no way I was going to even chance seeing that sickly thing again.

As I was nearing home, heart still pounding more due to the snake that my cardiovascular activity, I considered my complete avoidance of the snake's sighting spot. What would our lives look like if we avoided sin in that way? In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Paul writes that we are to "abstain from every form of evil". 'Form' could also mean 'appearance'. Do we do that? Unfortunately, I think we are too easily enticed by what the world has to offer and we come up with excuses on why a certain movie, a certain TV show, certain music, is okay. Shortly before he decided to murder his brother Abel, the LORD told Cain, "'Sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.'" (Genesis 4:7) Don't even give Satan an opportunity; don't let sin begin to fester. Let's abstain from even the appearance of evil, walking steadfastly in the footsteps of our sinless Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:7-8)