Today is a bittersweet day. My six foot two baby is about to graduate from middle school. Today he embarks on a new chapter in his life – one where I need to take a “small” step back and let him develop into the man that God is calling him to be. High school is a different world, full of different challenges and different temptations. As a mother, I need to trust that the years of prayer and instruction have prepared him for this next phase of his life. I would be foolish and naïve to think that taking a stand for Christ during high school is easy. To the contrary, it will be filled with daily decisions where he will need to make a choice whether to stand firm in his beliefs or compromise. So, real life begins.
The best advice I can give to him as a mother is to position himself well. What I mean is that he needs to know his purpose and make sure that he doesn’t abandon it. You see, people often fall into a pattern of sin because they find themselves in a situation that they shouldn’t be in the first place. Let’s take a look at the life of David. David was a strong leader, full of faith, and devoted fully to his heavenly father. But David fell into temptation and a series of sinful behavior because he abandoned his purpose and was not where he should have been.
It was spring, and all the kings were off at war. David should have been with those other kings. But, instead, he chose to send Joab in his place. While staying behind, he got restless and bored, and he found himself on the rooftop of the palace. From there, he saw Bathsheba bathing, in all her beauty, and he sent for her, slept with her, got her pregnant, and then killed her husband. David abandoned the purpose that God charged him with, and he ended up falling into sin with some serious consequences.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. – Proverbs 4:26-27
All too often, we find ourselves in the midst of sin and scratch our heads wondering just how we got there. It doesn’t happen by accident. It involves a series of decisions that position us for failure, rather than success, often stemming from boredom. Like David, one poor choice leads to another and to another and to another. That is why it is crucial to position yourself well from the beginning to avoid these temptations.
With that said, we need to surround ourselves with people who share the same ideas. I guarantee that you will eventually fail at pursuing righteousness if you surround yourself with people who aren’t likeminded in purpose.
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41
Our prayer should be one that asks God to help us stay away from people, places, and situations that will tempt us. We should be committed to His purpose for our lives. If you find yourself in a rooftop situation, get off of there as quickly as possible and return to doing the things that God has called you to do.