A Slippery Slope

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I stepped,

I slipped,

and I fell flat on my back as I attempted to water the plants in our rock garden. On my way down, I bounced off the side of the house.

My biggest worry was my glasses, but they didn’t break. Go figure.

Lying there, I could hear the thudding steps of my husband as he came running to my rescue from across the yard. Fortunately, I only suffered a bruised hip and a small knot on my head. Still, I was thankful to have his strong hands to help as I maneuvered my way back to a standing position.

This morning, I read about a different kind of falling – spiritual falling – in Psalm 93. Verse 18 reads “When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.”

You have heard the saying, “It ‘s a slippery slope”. This refers to an action that may lead to unintended, probably negative, consequences. As we walk through this world, we can easily step into situations that place us on slippery slopes in our spiritual lives. Situations that can lead us to compromise or stray away from our Father. We may start a new a new endeavor without praying or find ourselves involved in a hobby that quickly becomes a habit that pulls us away from God. Soon, we are flat on our back spiritually, wounded and bruised, wondering how in the world we fell. The good news is that the Father is willing to lift us back up if we call to Him.

In my case, I knew those rocks were hard for me to walk on. I also knew that I was wearing the wrong shoes for walking on the rocks. There were other ways to approach the task, but this was my usual way. Had I called my husband before I fell, he would have helped. I set myself on that “slippery slope”, and that time I fell.

Our independent human spirits often keep us from calling on God when we need Him. Just like me in the rock garden, we think we have it covered, but this leads us to fall down a slippery slope of sin. The Father, though, is always waiting for our cry. Verse 22 reads “But the Lord is my defense; and My God is the rock of my refuge.”

When we walk WITH God, we can walk through this troublesome world without falling. He is the Light in our darkness and our Everlasting Father. We can trust Him. WITH Him, we can avoid the slippery slopes.

Now, I think I will go take two Ibuprofen.

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“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24-25, KJV).

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Father, too often I step without thinking, and too often I move ahead without praying. You can keep me off the slippery slope if I simply come to You, follow You, and trust You. You know where the pitfalls are, and You are all about guiding me. Forgive me for my independent spirit that keeps me from full reliance on You. I want to walk in Your footsteps and follow where You lead. You are the Shepherd, and I am the sheep. Remind me, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray.

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Think About It:

• When have you found yourself on a slippery slope?

• What did you do about it?