“If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” ~ Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
Snow White and the Seven Cannibals, The Prince and the Serial Killer, and Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. What would all three have in common? Definitely the wrong scenarios. Should be seven dwarves, a pauper, and bears in those stories not something extremely dangerous.
We might laugh about those titles; but, how many times do people find themselves in the same kinds of things in real life? They may have begun on the right path but because of circumstances or meeting up with the wrong people, they find themselves astray. Sometimes, they are so astray that they cast aside their morals and values and become horrible people or, at the very least, engage in horrible things.
From the time that I was a chaplain in a maximum security prison, I learned that it doesn’t take much to set someone on the wrong path. Sometimes it’s because of a tragic loss. Other times it might be because of an invitation by a “friend”. Still other times it might be “wrong place, wrong time” stuff. Whatever, the people ended up in prison rather than in secure, peaceful lives.
Don’t delude yourselves into thinking that it’s not that easy to be led astray because it is. That is why we need to remain vigilant in our daily lives. When we let our guard down — praying less, sinning more, disregarding what we know to be right — we place ourselves in jeopardy. We need to discern the steps that we are to take so that we may remain on the path that leads to the Kingdom.
Jesus reminded us that the way is narrow and that many miss the way or stray from the way. Let’s do all that we can to keep ourselves headed in the right direction and bring along the people that are in our lives. By setting the right example, we can be a beacon to others.
And if you discern that you are in the “wrong story”, by all means, leave immediately. Flee from sin when you see it and do the best that you can to cling to the Lord.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for the gift of discernment so that you may stay on the right path.