How close can I get to the fire and not get burned?”

“Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair … and so his strength left him. Then she called, `Samson, the Philistines are upon you.' He awoke from his sleep and thought `I'll go out as before and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” (Judges 16:19-20 NIV)
How close can I get to the fire and not get burned is a game we all play. We do it with the wrong that we do. We fulfill the letter of the law, but missed the spirit of the law, then wonder why things went wrong. We hang around people we know are not good for us, and are doing what does not align up with our core values or beliefs, as well as play the odds of getting caught – Remember God asked hot or cold, not warm…. Yet, we desire to play on the wild side participating in ‘parallel play,’ where it looks like we are doing it but we are not. Thus, the perception is you are, and people act on it, in their behavior, their choices, and words; whether it is true or not. So, we have no room to get upset, if we have put ourselves close to the fire resulting in a singe mark. See where ever you go, whether it literally or physically, you will be marked by it. Ever hug someone and walk away, and you still smells like their cologne or perfume? Ever hang out with a person, and then you begin using their terminology, words, or hand gestures? How about looking, drawing some of the same conclusion that they drawn because you have been with them so much? Do not believe this, then what is groupthink? Yes, there it is…This is the same, whether the behavior is conducive to our growth and development, or our detriment; we are marked…Now we see the lesson of old, taught my our parents and elders in our life – be careful who you hang around with because it matters – was, is, and shall always hold true…You choose

The question each of us must ask ourselves is this, who do I want to be mark or characterized by? Is it the things, people, or/and actions that make people questioned my character, my integrity, my beliefs? Is it the things, actions, and/or people that influence others to desire to get to know me? We choose, and sometimes we choose by default because like Samson, we think either we are too smart to get caught, or we let what is temporary or have immediate gratification for us right now determine our actions. The problem with this is, it does not take into account the residual effects of our behavior on others lives, on our lives, or how far or long effects have boomeranged into the world around us, and comes backs to us. Yet, we take steps everyday that puts us closer to a metaphorical fire and we are marked that stops, impedes, or hinders us from being the effective person in all aspects of our lives. Yet, like so many other things, we do not own it because we think – it is a white lie, it was not that big of a deal, or no one knows – We fail to realize how man, us, look at things, does not applies here. If we see a garment perfect in every way, and we notice a slight imperfection, irregularity, this become our focus. Yet, we do not ever consider how this same logic is part of our unconscious seamless assessment tools in our tool box of viewing life, and we play close to the metaphorical and/or literal fires…you choose

Yet, we wonder why God does not move. Well in Psalm 96:9 –Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth (NIV). This is not just when go to some physical place to praise and worship, or when something happens to or for us, although it is important and included. But also, in all we do because we understand beyond a literal awareness of God, the GREAT I AM! it matters, nothing is random…So, how long are you going to play close to the fire?...you choose