Today I was reminded of the story of the man who was hiking up in the mountain one winter day when he heard a voice. Looking down, he saw a snake curled up, shivering from the cold, begging, “Please, sir. Please, pick me up and take me down the mountain where it’s warmer.” The man replied, “What! You’re a snake! Why would I pick you up? You’ll bite me!” The snake said, “Oh no, sir. I’ll die if I stay up here. If you’ll pick me up, I won’t bite you.” The man was filled with compassion. After all – it was a little snake. He finally leaned over and picked him up, putting him in his inside coat pocket, where it would be safe and warm. He slowly made his way back down the mountain. When he got to the bottom, the man reached into his pocket and pulled the snake out. It immediately bit down on the man’s hand. Shaking the snake off, in disbelief, he yelled, “You said that you wouldn’t bite me! I believed you!” As the snake slithered away, he replied, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.”
Isn’t that a thought provoking story? We often see sin, and we start rationalizing as to why “It won’t hurt if we just do it once!” “Nobody is watching!” “Everyone else is doing it.” Yet, we know that it isn’t something that is “Christ-like.” We may use reasoning as to why it’s the “right thing to do,” but just like compassion led the man to pick up that snake, we can be led to do the wrong thing, even if we have the best of intentions.
Some people don’t want to take responsibility for their actions. They would blame the snake! He said that he wouldn’t bite him, and he did – it’s his fault. And while, there is sin on the part of the snake – he lied. But, that doesn’t erase the responsibility of the man. He did what he did. He didn’t have to pick up that snake – he chose to do so. We must take responsibility for our choices and our actions. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (II Corinthians 5:10)
Are you guilty of flirting with sin? Beware of the snake or you’ll get bitten! God Bless, Courtney