Proverbs 1:10-14 – Be cautious who you run with

The American has a saying to caution us to be careful who we mix with in life. It says, “If you run with the skunks, you will smell like a skunk.” In essence these verses are saying the same thing. Here, young people are advised to shun immoral and depraved people. Such people are ruthless and they will lure the uninitiated to join them in their unscrupulous act of killing the innocent to get rich. It is a call to the young to avoid such people. For participating in their violent activities will lead to the same violent self-destruction. 

The author also portrays for us the colour of the world. Sin is painted as attractive and pleasurable. But like the scorpion, it has its sting in the tail. Parents need to be mindful of the evil that exist and prevail in our society. One way some parents choose to deal with the problem of evil influence is to try to build walls around their children. But the fallacy of this method is that they can’t be around forever to shield their children. Hence the better way is to alert our children to the presence of such evil in the world, and to be aware of their attending dangers. It will better equip them to evaluate and determine for themselves the right course to take. The aim is to prepare them to guard against the allurements of the world and equip them to resist the enticement.  

In these verses, we see what evil people would do to entice the young. They promise thrill and excitement and of course financial gain. Making use of pleasure they lure the young from living righteously. Having no regard for human life and civility, they also encourage irrational violence. It behoves the young to be careful about being offered a substitute family that promote perverse brotherhood. It underscores the need for parents to build family unity and strengthen ties. We parents must engage in the life of our children and build a sense of family belonging that cannot be rivalled by evil company. Indirectly, this is a call to devote time to build family relationship within the home. To the young, be careful who you mix with. Be wary of people who demands devotion that competes with your spiritual values. Be sure to make Christ Jesus the pre-eminence of our life.