Smoke ’em if You Got ’em

Smoke ’em if You Got ’em

By Grant Gaines

We’re afraid of a lot of things that are relatively non-threatening. For example, from 1958-2014 there were only 2,899 shark attacks in the entire world, 548 of those resulted in death-1. As bumpy and scary as some airplane flights can be, the odds of actually being killed in a plane crash are 1 in 10 million-2. And although lightning can flash and boom all around us, there is only a 1 in 700,000 chance that you will be struck by lightning this year-3.

But there is one secret killer that is all around us every day that we should pay much more attention to – cigarettes. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five total deaths.-4”

Nearly one in five deaths is caused by cigarette smoke! That’s insane! And do you know what’s even more insane? That smoking cigarettes is NOT illegal. Per our nation’s laws, you are more than welcome to puff on as many of these death traps as you want without any police officer raising a single objection to your actions. Smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the USA and yet you have every legal right to light up some cigs on your next break from work.

This is where Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV) comes into play which says, “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

I love this verse because it takes our decision making to the next level. No longer are we to simply ask “Is it right for me to do this or that?” but now we are to ask, “Is it wise for me to do this or that?” Let me give you some examples to explain the difference.

Is it wrong for you to drink one or two beers before driving your car? No. Legally it is not wrong at all as long as you are not past the legal blood alcohol drinking limit to drink and drive. But is it wise to jump behind the wheel of a 2,000-pound vehicle while your mind is even slightly impaired? No, not at all. Is it wrong for a boyfriend and girlfriend to snuggle on a couch while watching a movie with no one else at their house? Nope, you won’t find any Bible verses warning you against that. However, is it wise for a guy and a girl who are physically and emotionally attracted to each other to leave a door wide open for temptation while emotions and hormones are flying? Not at all! And lastly, is it wrong for someone to smoke a cigarette? As we’ve previously discussed, the legal answer to that question is “No.” Yet, is it wise for someone to inhale those toxins that put more people in caskets every year than war? No, it’s not wise at all.

As you can see, the decision making bar is raised quite a bit with this one simple command. And while on the surface it may seem like we will be missing out on a lot, I can assure you that when we live a life that is above reproach and under the influence of God’s Word, we will not be missing out on anything. God, who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), our only source of joy (1 Thessalonians 1:6 ), and the Giver of life (John 15:5), will never leave us disappointed when we walk according to His will by keeping in line with His Word. The exact opposite is actually true – we have more life, joy, and hope when we walk in this wisdom.

I want to challenge you to take a moment today to examine your decisions and actions. Are they merely the right thing to do, or are they the wise thing to do?

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©Grant Gaines 2016