Avoid the danger zone for your faith
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.” (Amos 5:14)
Do you ever think about what might be a danger zone for your faith?
Sometimes it is rather easy to just live our lives and not watch out for what might be dangerous for our faith.
Think of all the warning signs we see in our physical life which seek to help us avoid danger. Orange signs all over the place warn us of dangers in a construction zone. Yellow signs on the side of the road tell us that there are curves or other obstacles ahead in our drive. Signs on electrical boxes warn us of the danger of high voltage. There are many others we could name, but you get the picture.
Our Bible verse for this week is like a flashing sign that says “watch out for this danger for your faith.”
At first glance, this verse might seem to tell us that if we lead a good life we will live forever in heaven. But when you understand the words and situation of Amos, you realize that they are words of warning. What Amos is really saying is “Don’t think that you can flirt with evil and not put your faith in any danger.”
So what dangers do you personally have to look out for which might be harmful to your own faith life? Do you have to avoid the danger of alcohol? Might it be that there are certain people that you sometimes find yourself in the company of who could not be good company? Does the internet and what you view on your phone or computer put you in a place of temptation?
Each one of us knows what that danger zone is for our faith. We might think that we can play with spiritual fire and not get burned. But just like the child who thinks that they can play with matches and not get burned or play on the side of the raging waters of a creek and not be in danger, we all need the reminder to not put ourselves and our faith in a danger zone.
Seek God’s forgiveness for the times and places where you have not been wise with what you have exposed your faith life to. Find strength in God’s Word (these weekly devotions, regular Bible reading and/or worship) to build up strength for your faith to avoid danger. And lastly, be intentional about where and how you live your life so that we do what you can to avoid the danger zones for your faith.