Guarding Against Infection - Martin Wiles

Do not even let them live among you! If you do, they will infect you with their sin of idol worship, and that would be disastrous for you. Exodus 23:33 NLT

A small bubble appeared in the corner of my left index finger and grew. What others forecasted came true. I had not practiced guarding against infection.

I’m not exactly sure when or why I developed the habit of biting my nails, but somewhere around middle school age, I did. Perhaps I needed something to occupy my time. My mother, aunt, and grandmother all warned me I was going to pull one down into the quick. Then I’d have to deal with infection.

Sure enough, I did, and it did. Mom tried boiling it with Peroxide. No luck. It must have been the weekend because she and my grandmother gathered me up and carted me to the local emergency room. After the nurse administered a numbing shot to my finger, the doctor took a knife to the infection—a painful experience I’ve never forgotten.

God warned the desert-traveling Israelites about a worse infection: disobedience. Pagans inhabited the Israelites’ Promised Land. Living among them—or even marrying them—would bring disastrous results. Their disaster reminds us we can still be infected by those who don’t love God or his commands. But how can we guard ourselves?

• Be careful of our company.

While Jesus tells us to influence others by being salt, the Bible also says bad company corrupts good morals. Obeying the command and heeding the warning take wisdom only God can give. My company told me to keep my fingers out of my mouth. I didn’t listen.

• Equip ourselves.

God told his people to avoid treaties with the pagan dwellers and not to worship their gods. Guarding against some diseases requires a shot. Keeping my fingers out of my mouth would have equipped me to fight infection. Spiritual disciplines protect us against infection. Programming our consciences with God’s Word makes it a reliable source of warning when infection stalks nearby.

What steps can you take to guard yourself against spiritual infection?

Father, direct my steps away from those things and people who would infect me negatively. 

Tweetable: Are you guarding against infection? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.