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Tag: prevention

Play with Fire

Play with Fire

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Play with Fire--child in fireman's outfitMatthew knows he should never play with fire. He does not want to get hurt. Neither does he want to hurt others.

Instead, Matthew may become a fireman when he grows up. Rather than play with fire, he hopes to prevent and put out fires.

No one should play with fire.

It is both dangerous and foolish. Most of us would never play with a physical fire. Yet, many of us play with fire in other ways. We take risks when we:

  • Choose bad relationships
  • Cheat
  • Disobey the law
  • Practice bad health habits

When we play with fire, we get burned.

 We may:

  • Hurt or lose those we love
  • Gain a bad reputation
  • Go to jail
  • Suffer poor health

Instead, let’s prevent or put out fires when we can.

Let’s watch our steps, make good choices, and help others do the same.

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” (Proverbs 6:27 NIV)

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Photo courtesy of Tammy Seyfried.

Batten Down the Hatches

Batten Down the Hatches

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Batten Down the Hatches--sail boatStorms occur at sea and in our lives.

When we batten down the hatches, we prepare for those storms. We see trouble coming and hard times ahead, so we get ready.

A hatch or hatchway is an opening in a ship’s deck. The ship’s crew covers the hatch when they expect bad weather. Storms at sea can destroy ships and the people on them. Sealing the hatch provides extra protection.

When we expect life problems, we also want to do what we can to protect against them.

Some storms do little damage.

  • Families may say, “Batten down the hatches. Aunt Mina’s kids are coming.” (I don’t have an Aunt Mina.)
  • Businesses may say, “Batten down the hatches. We expect poor sales next month.”
  • Governments may say, “Batten down the hatches. This decision will make some people mad.”

Some storms destroy.

  • Families may say, “Batten down the hatches. Dad’s drinking and threatening Mom.” (My dad did not drink and never threatened my mom.)
  • Businesses may say, “Batten down the hatches. We may have to close if sales get any worse.”
  • Governments may say, “Batten down the hatches. This decision may lead to war.”

Some storms we can prevent. Some we cannot.

We don’t always know when storms are coming. Therefore, we need to stay prepared as much as we can all the time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

If we cannot prevent storms, we try to survive them. We hang on for dear life to what matters most.

“I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm” (Psalm 55:8 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

By the Skin of My Teeth

By the Skin of My Teeth

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By the Skin of My TeethTeeth have no skin, but we know skin is thin. So, if I escape a problem by the skin of my teeth, I barely get by.

For example:

  • A car almost hits me.
  • I pass a test with a “D” grade.
  • I almost lose my job.
  • I narrowly escape death.

In each case, disaster was close, but it did not happen.

We find this big fish at Wisconsin’s House on the Rock. The bird and boat inside the fish did not escape by the skin of their teeth. Instead, the teeth of the fish trapped them.

We can often avoid problems and narrow escapes.

  • Careful driving prevents many accidents.
  • Regular study results in better grades.
  • Honest work improves job security.
  • Good eating, sleeping, and exercise mean better health.

Sometimes, bad things happen anyway. They did for Job in the Bible. He lost almost everything. Yet, he did not give up. He continued to believe in God, who remains with us through good times and bad.

“I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth” (Job 19:20 NIV).

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Watch Your Step

Watch Your Step

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Watch Your Step“You better watch your step.” Have you heard that from a parent, teacher, or boss? When it happens, we know we have pushed all the wrong buttons. We are in trouble or soon will be, unless we change our behavior.

If we don’t watch our step when we walk or run, we fall. Falls frequently occur because of:

  • Wet leaves on steps
  • Not paying attention (Having our head in the clouds)
  • Stepping on rocks, holes, or toys

If we fail to watch our step in relationships, we risk:

  • Offending other people
  • Earning a bad reputation
  • Suffering personal problems

Falls can happen quickly. That is true in any situation.

  • Sometimes we cause falls ourselves.
  • Sometimes other people cause them.
  • Sometimes they are no one’s fault.

As a result, we want to use caution — to watch our step.

  • Prevent the mistakes we can.
  • Prepare for the mistakes that happen.
  • Pick ourselves up when we fall.

Let’s learn from the steps we take, both good and bad.

“I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes” (Psalm 119: 59 NIV).

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Put Your House in Order

Put Your House in Order

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Put Your House in OrderIt’s probably too late to put this old house in order. We see signs of decay all over it:

  • Weeds, trees, and vines growing near and on it
  • Cracks in the wood, windows, and door
  • Parts of it leaning, preparing to fall

To put your house in order, you try to return everything to good condition. You don’t usually mean a house. You may want to:

  • Get your finances in good shape.
  • Improve your behavior.
  • Prepare for death.

We see the last meaning in Isaiah 38:1 when Isaiah told King Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die.”

Sometimes when people criticize you, you might say, “Put your own house in order.” This tells them to solve their problems instead of criticizing you.

All of us have problems. We can prevent many of them. With houses, we can:

  • Keep weeds, trees, and vines cut.
  • Repair cracks as soon as they appear.
  • Keep the foundation and support strong.

With our lives, we can:

  • Avoid harmful activities.
  • Correct mistakes as soon as they occur.
  • Make God our foundation.
  • Help one another stay strong.

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25 NIV).

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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

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An Ounce of Prevention-morgueFileAll my life I heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. That sounds good to me. I’m for whatever we can do to prevent problems. Plus, I love apples.

We credit Benjamin Franklin with saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. His quote contains wisdom we all need.

We can either spend a little time preventing a problem or a lot of time curing it.

If we have the ability to prevent something bad, why not do it? If eating apples will keep us out of the doctor’s office, let’s eat apples!

Some people have revised Franklin’s quote to say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I tend to agree.

Consider our choices:

  • Exercise and eat well now or treat health problems later.
  • Save for emergencies now or deal with debt later.
  • Develop strong relationships now or have few friends later.
  • Work well now or find a new job later.

Do you see a pattern here?

Our choices today affect our lives tomorrow.

What kind of future do we want?

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8 NIV).

Thank you to Karen Atwood for this suggestion.

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Out on a Limb

Out on a Limb

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Out on a LimbHave you seen the cartoon of a man sitting out on a limb? He’s sawing off the limb between himself and the tree. We laugh because we know that when the limb falls, so will he. Yet, he remains unaware.

The bear cub in this photo may not be out on a limb yet. However, we know if he tries to crawl out any of those tiny limbs, he too will fall.

We often fail to see the dangers around us.

Like the man and the bear cub, we cause many of those dangers ourselves.

  • Marriages fall apart because of harmless flirting.
  • Addictions result from trying just one drink or drug.
  • Bankruptcies occur when we can no longer pay all those little charges.

If we never take that first dangerous step, we don’t have to worry about falling.

Let’s take preventive steps instead.

  • Weigh the good and bad.
  • Make well-informed decisions.
  • Set reasonable limits in every part of our lives.

Let’s not put ourselves at risk. Let’s choose not to go out on a limb.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40 NIV).

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