I remember teaching my son’s that everyone they met in life were not necessarily their friends.  And sometimes their friends could get them into more trouble than they could get out of.  It was our desire for them to be discerning with whom they associated.  Of course, they didn’t always comply, because they thought mom and dad were trying to keep them from having fun, but in time they found what we told them to be true. And other times they had to learn on their own.  Some lessons cannot be taught otherwise.

Sometimes we find ourselves in messes because of our own doing, because we didn’t listen, or as in the case of my sons, we think we know better, and go ahead with what we want to do and find ourselves spiraling out of control and into a disaster because of the lack of heeding dire warnings.  Decisions have consequences and sometimes those decisions can haunt one for a lifetime.  I knew of one case like this and the situation ended with a young man’s brothers being killed.

And then other times through no fault of our own, other’s decisions, can have a bearing on our lives.

But in all decisions in life we must base them on Biblical Truths and read the examples given in Scripture regarding the sins and mistakes others have made, and if we are wise, heed their warnings.  The Old Testament was written for our learning and much can be learned from these men and women of God.

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”     (Romans 15:4)

“A woman made this startling statement: “If they had named me in keeping with the life I’ve lived, my given name would be Ima and my last name would be Mess.”

We get ourselves in so many messes our status quo can be defined as the mess we’re in.  Come to think of it, that isn’t a bad description of a big portion of our population.

We fail to figure our expenses versus our income – especially the probability of the unknown arising – and then we have debts that smother us.  This puts us in another bind, as Solomon said, “The borrower is servant to the lender.”

Sometimes we talk when we should listen.  This gets us in difficulty.  Alienates friends or expels strangers who might have become friends.  At other times we get in a mix up by signing notes and becoming the surety for another person’s debts.

The most heartbreaking messes, however, come from getting caught up in a web of sin and evil.  People don’t plan to go very far down the downward path, but it’s hard to stop anything going downhill.  At the bottom is the crash.  Nevertheless, this caution can spare one the first step which ends in the smashup:  “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

No matter what mess we’re in, we caused it.  Maybe some others helped, but in the last analysis we made the decision that put us there.  Man’s problems are manmade, but take heart – they can be God-solved, and He is saying, “Your iniquities will I remember no more.”

~ Leroy Brownlow

“The prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself:  but the simple pass on, and are punished.”     (Proverbs 27:12)

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Be not deceived:  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you:  but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”       (I Corinthians 6:9-11)

“Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come.  Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.”     ~ Scott

 Eileen Light