"Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart."
Proverbs 7:2-3
In an earlier post, we discussed how important it is to be able to identify a situation and what the outcome of the situation will be. In Proverbs 7, Solomon lays out a detailed example of how easily naive people are led astray by sexual immorality. He is attempting to educate us on the signals that indicate that you are being seduced and being led into this trap. As you read through the rest of Proverbs 7, notice how the immoral woman is dressed in a seductive way in order to lure men into her house. Her smooth responses to his questions attempt to calm his nervousness while she continues to bring him in closer to the sexual trap.
We must learn to recognize these strategies in order to avoid the sexual and adulterous traps. There is only one escape plan that works and it doesn't involve talking... RUN!! Get out of the situation - IMMEDIATELY! You will be swallowed up like a handful of chocolate M&M's.
When we wander aimlessly through life without a purpose or without direction, are lives are empty and unstable. We are looking for something to fill the void in our life. We think this person may be just the thing I'm looking for and we are extremely vulnerable to these temptations. In order to avoid these temptations we must be prepared for them. We must be alert for temptation because it's literally everywhere. It's on TV, it's in the movies, in the books we read, it's in the way we dress - it's everywhere - and it's becoming so common place that we don't even notice it for what it is.
In our small groups, we spend time explaining to our young women the affects of a low cut blouse or a short skirt on teenage boys. We encourage them to dress appropriately and not like the seductress in Proverbs 7. It's a difficult conversation but it is very effective. It's important that we raise awareness with teenagers as to how society is playing them. We encourage them to remove themselves from situations that tempt them to sin. We teach them phrases and actions that remove them from the situation without subjecting them to more peer pressure or ridicule. We prepare them for situations that they may encounter before they actually encounter them so they can be ready to take action before the trap is sprung. It's very important that everyone understands the importance of focusing on the future and not on the heat of the moment. The thrill of the moment may lead to a lifetime of regret.
Read through Proverbs 7 and learn to identify temptation. Recognize situations when you are feeling tempted and be ready to flee. Remember, Satan wanders the earth looking for whom he can devour. Don't be his meal. Study the Bible. Study Proverbs. Learn the word for it is like an armory of weapons for defending you soul. Live to fight another day.
The Shepherd
Return to The Proverbs Challenge
Proverbs 7:2-3
In an earlier post, we discussed how important it is to be able to identify a situation and what the outcome of the situation will be. In Proverbs 7, Solomon lays out a detailed example of how easily naive people are led astray by sexual immorality. He is attempting to educate us on the signals that indicate that you are being seduced and being led into this trap. As you read through the rest of Proverbs 7, notice how the immoral woman is dressed in a seductive way in order to lure men into her house. Her smooth responses to his questions attempt to calm his nervousness while she continues to bring him in closer to the sexual trap.
We must learn to recognize these strategies in order to avoid the sexual and adulterous traps. There is only one escape plan that works and it doesn't involve talking... RUN!! Get out of the situation - IMMEDIATELY! You will be swallowed up like a handful of chocolate M&M's.
When we wander aimlessly through life without a purpose or without direction, are lives are empty and unstable. We are looking for something to fill the void in our life. We think this person may be just the thing I'm looking for and we are extremely vulnerable to these temptations. In order to avoid these temptations we must be prepared for them. We must be alert for temptation because it's literally everywhere. It's on TV, it's in the movies, in the books we read, it's in the way we dress - it's everywhere - and it's becoming so common place that we don't even notice it for what it is.
In our small groups, we spend time explaining to our young women the affects of a low cut blouse or a short skirt on teenage boys. We encourage them to dress appropriately and not like the seductress in Proverbs 7. It's a difficult conversation but it is very effective. It's important that we raise awareness with teenagers as to how society is playing them. We encourage them to remove themselves from situations that tempt them to sin. We teach them phrases and actions that remove them from the situation without subjecting them to more peer pressure or ridicule. We prepare them for situations that they may encounter before they actually encounter them so they can be ready to take action before the trap is sprung. It's very important that everyone understands the importance of focusing on the future and not on the heat of the moment. The thrill of the moment may lead to a lifetime of regret.
Read through Proverbs 7 and learn to identify temptation. Recognize situations when you are feeling tempted and be ready to flee. Remember, Satan wanders the earth looking for whom he can devour. Don't be his meal. Study the Bible. Study Proverbs. Learn the word for it is like an armory of weapons for defending you soul. Live to fight another day.
The Shepherd
Return to The Proverbs Challenge
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