Bible Reading: Proverbs 1:10-16
My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! Proverbs 1:10
“Oh, sure it is,” Troy sassed. “Following Jesus is a blast. Church sounds soooo exciting. And being good all the time? That has to be loads of fun.”
Most of the kids Evan invited to church said yes. And lots of them agreed that church was a good place to be—and that following Jesus was great! But Troy had a whole other attitude. He assumed that the only people interested in obeying God’s commands were mean old hags with their hair pulled back into too tight buns. Troy seemed to think that God’s biggest goal for the universe was to zap the fun out of life.
Talk about it: When has someone tried to tell you that following God—or doing the right thing—steals away your fun?
Maybe someday Troy will change his mind. But God knows who the real fun-zappers are. Just ten short verses into the first chapter of Proverbs—the Bible’s book of wisdom—we learn that sinful people are the folks who take the fun out of life.
You probably don’t know anyone who actually makes a habit of beating up innocent people like the bloodthirsty bunch described in Proverbs 1. But you’ll notice a close similarity to what all sinners say as they try to drag you into sin. Check these smooth lines:
• “Come and join us!”
• “No one is going to get hurt!”
• “Look at all the great stuff we’ll get!”
• “We guarantee you’ll have fun!”
Those sinners aren’t too bright. Their fun ruins their own lives, and by setting out to destroy others they wind up destroying themselves. Like Proverbs 1:18 says, “They set an ambush for themselves; they booby-trap their own lives!” Psalm 73 tells how God handles people who think sin is the route to success: “Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction” (verse 18).
That doesn’t sound like much fun!
God speaks through Solomon to give you some clear advice when people try to tell you that sin is a smart idea: “My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” (Proverbs 1:10).
God isn’t out to spoil your fun. His wisdom aims to show you the way to true fun. God isn’t the fun-killer. He’s the fun-giver.
TALK: How do you know that God wants to give you a good life—not make your life miserable with his rules?
PRAY: God, thanks for putting up boundaries that guide us into a good life. You keep us safe and happy.
ACT: Do you have a friend who thinks God’s goal is to zap fun from life? Share the good news of the truth about this with him or her!
