If you look for trouble, you'll find it.
| posted 1/30/2009
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It's an old proverb, but it's still true today: "If you look for trouble, you'll find it." When you rebel, you're saying, in essence, I don't want any authority over me. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I'm going to do things my way. With this kind of thinking, there's no end to the sort of trouble you can get yourself into. It may be temporary, or it may be permanent. But if you were to ask any person who's now incarcerated how their life of crime stated, no doubt they would use similar words. And they would feel tremendous regret.
How true it is that the kind of people you hang out with are the kind of people you become. So if you seek trouble, and you hang out with people who are trouble, you'll be in trouble yourself. Happily, the reverse is also true: in order to keep out of trouble, you'll need to find new friends who have godly, rather than troublesome, characteristics. That may mean moving to a new town to start a new life, changing schools, and finding different things to do on a Friday night than drink and cruise. But such life change is not only possible, with God's help, your determination, and the aid of godly counselors, but incredibly rewarding! (See also 2 Samuel 15; 18:9-17; Psalm 32; Proverbs 10:17.)
Good Words to Remember:
He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil. Proverbs 11: 27
Today's Challenge:
How can you encourage your rebellious child to form relationships that will keep him or her out of trouble? (Even if he won't talk to you, perhaps there is another adult he'd trust.)
Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.
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