Just Leave It Alone

“Just Leave It Alone”

By Zach Wood

Proverbs 4:14-15 (NLT)

“Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.  Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.  Turn away and keep moving.”

I remember often as a child being told or hearing other parents tell kids around me, “Don’t even think about it!”  Now as a parent and being around other people’s kids, I say and also hear other parents saying the same thing at times.  Kids get pretty curious about things.  I don’t think there’s a child alive today that hasn’t found his or her way into some kind of trouble, whether just out of curiosity or actually purposely doing something wrong.

We often talk about kids doing these things, but as adults, we often do the same things.  We often think about evil things we could do because we are mad at someone or we are just so curious that we don’t care what the outcome is.  We can get pretty risky sometimes and not in good ways.  We often become very curious, just like kids, and we go exploring where we shouldn’t be.  Our minds often wander away and we allow Satan to lure us where we shouldn’t be going.

It is quite easy for all of us to put on the mask trying to show others that we are good men and women and that we follow God and are committed.  However, we often, in our minds and hearts, devise schemes to get back at people for doing us wrong.  We don’t like to admit that, but we do.  We know that God wants something better for us, but the human part of us just doesn’t want to let go and let Him be in control. 

When we are tempted to let our emotions and curiosity take over and lead us down the wrong path, we need to make the choice to steer completely clear and not even flirt with the wrong path.  Often times we just want to get a little bit closer and see how close we can get without getting burned.  The best thing to do is just leave it alone completely.  Following His way is the best way, every time.  It’s not always what we feel like doing, but His way is always best for us. 

I think my dad really said it best when I was a child and I often deviated from what was the right thing to do and the advice still comes back to me as an adult.  He often said, “Just leave it alone”.  Very good advice, not only for children, but for us as adults.  Don’t even think about it and just leave it alone.  Go the other way and keep moving forward with the path God wants for us.  The path of wrongdoing will always burn us in some way.