Pitfalls to Avoid (Proverbs 6)

It is easy to forget that life is not just physical and emotional. Not acknowledging the spiritual aspect of the Christian faith is at the detriment of the believer. The success of the Christian creative is not in direct relation to hard work as many are led to believe, but is a reward from God that is pleased with the work that is being carried out in love (Hebrews 11:6). Don’t get me wrong! We must work hard (Genesis 3:17-19)! Our work can however be in vain if God is not connected to the work that is being done (Psalm 127:1). One problem is that believers don’t understand that spiritual entities are connected to them, through the sins they entertain, sins that were entertained through their families and sins even within their communities (Romans 5:12).

Let’s outline some of the pitfalls that are destroying the Christian creatives, essentially categorizing the sins we are guilty of.

Qualify Your Associates

This might seem like a no-brainier however there are lots of situations where we felt obligated to vouch for someone because they were nice to us or the individual is a member of our church or we perceived them to be a good person. The truth is everyone is nice when there are gains to be made. Therefore, with this in mind we should be careful how we associate with people and definitely not be a guarantor for persons that are not qualified through the standards of true love found in the scriptures. (Proverbs 6:1-2)

Keep your Promises

Life can be demanding and often times we make promises that we are unable to keep for one reason or the other. Let us not be disheartened when we are unable to meet our responsibilities but humbled. Firstly we should always place a promise in the hands of God by saying words like “God’s willing”. This is important since the dynamics of life can make it impossible to know what will happen. This places the promise in God’s hand not only ensuring that your promise is not a lie but giving God the honour in every outcome. (Proverbs 6:3-5)

Overcome Laziness

The truth is there are countless amounts of spiritual entities that can cause a believer to be discouraged, tired and lazy (Proverbs 6:6-11), but these things are not to be used as an excuse in the life of a believer. As believers, we have been given the authority to resist them and should be encouraged through what Jesus endured to resist these things unto bloodshed (Hebrews 12:1-5).

Avoid Secrets Pacts

(Proverbs 6:12-14) It is common occurrence for us that call ourselves believers to try and blend the Christian faith with occult practices. We hope to benefit from both beliefs as one may provide power through money or spiritual solutions and the other acceptance into a heavenly kingdom. Matthew 6:24 highlights the impossibility of this matter because you will hate one of the masters of your beliefs, to your own detriment without a finding solution (Proverbs 6:15).

Sewing Lies & Discord

“Six things the Lord hates the 7th is an abomination” (Proverbs 6:16-19). This statement is not to be taken lightly. The body of believers are so entrenched in gossip that we are all too comfortable with conversation that has absolutely nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have even reached the point where we don’t even care if it is true. Believers in many churches are unable to visit another churches without rumours being conveyed to an Elder/Leader in the Church. This can cause conflict to the point where the pulpit becomes a chastening tool to convey displeasure. In Christendom we have a tendency to believe we are not doing anything wrong. However, the Bible clearly states this is an abomination because information was not conveyed in love but out of a selfish nature.

Stubbornness

Another rampant folly among believers is to think that we get to determine what is considered sin based on our current desires, therefore justifying our selfish behaviours. Make no mistake, this rebellion is seen as witchcraft as it embraces the idol of self (1 Samuel 15:23) and destroys the evidence of our testimony in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.

Conclusion

Life is full of pitfalls and while it might be impossible to document all of them in this article. It is our responsibility to represent Christ accurately and to be vigilant and open to the voice of Holy Spirit and turn away from wickedness that leads to pitfalls. The Bible say in 2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

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