Proverbs 7: The Lie Of "Nobody Will Find Out"

"Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
19 My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.” - Proverbs 7:18-20

This is how the shady woman seduces the man who we are told lacks common sense (v. 7) - she tells him her husband is not home and therefore they will get away with a one-night stand. 

In this picture Solomon is obvoiuly warning against sexual sin, and he's saying that it's extra tempting when we think nobody is watching. Adultery, one-night stands, pornography - it all becomes much harder to resist when we believe nobody will ever find out. 

But this can apply to areas outside of sexual immorality as well. 

When we think the IRS would never audit us, it's etra tempting to cheat on our teaxes. 

When we think a professor won't find out, it's extra tempting to plagiarize a paper. 

When we don't think anyone will read our texts, it's extra tempting to take jokes too far. 

When the boss is away, it's extra tempting to be lazy and cut corners. 

When there's no driver in the parked car, it's extra tempting to drive off without leaving a note to say you scratched their door. 

When a friend promises not to tell anyone, it's extra tempting to give them a juicy nugget of gossip (we may even tell ourselves it's not gossip if it's just one person). 

But the idea that nobody will find out is a lie for at least three reasons: 

1) God knows. And he cares. He cares about our integrity. He cares about us being honorable and submissive to Him even if no human is watching. 

2) Angels are watching how God's people - the church - live out this marvelous story of redemption (1 Peter 1:12, 1 Corinthian 11:10, Luke 15:10). 

3) Other people usually find out - especially today with camera phones and social media. Heck, I think that in His great love God will often expose our addictions, laziness, greed, and gossip - not to punish us, but to bring us to a place of confession and repentance. 

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For these reaons, I don't want to be caught being dishonest in even small areas. 

For these reasons, I want to make sure that when I do screw up I'm confessing it to the appropriate people and apologizing when necessary.

For these reasons, I want to make sure that my wife and a few others will be able to say, if things from my past are exposed, "Oh yeah, we knew that. He told us."

In what area are you being tempted by the lie that nobody will find out? 

Are you walking in integrity in all areas? Where might a confession be needed? 

If someone was to find your cell phone - and hacked your password - what would they see? 

What about your computer's browsing history? 

Take some time to ask God these questions today. 

 

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