Rolling Around in the Gutter!

I was thinking about the story of the prodigal son. He left his dad’s house with wealth. He went out into the world and frivously threw it all to the wind. Before long, he had absolutely nothing. The Scripture says it this way: “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything” (Luke 15:14-16).

Did he leave his dad’s expecting to be broke in a short time? Did he ever consider finding himself living with and feeding the pigs as he eventually ended up doing?  No, I don’t believe the idea ever crossed his mind that he would end up rolling around in the gutter. But, he did!

The young person experimenting with drugs never intends to wind up a drug addict on the streets hurting others, stealing, whatever it takes to get the next hit. Or the man socially drinking has no intention of one day succombing to his drinking and becoming an alcoholic destroying his home, family, loosing his job. These people and so many others who fool around with the world and its ways never intending to one day discover they are rolling around in the gutter—but they do!

Consider this saying for a moment: “Satan (sin, this world, drugs, alcohol, porn, etc.) will always take you farther than you intended to go; will always keep you there longer than you intended to stay; will always cost you more than you intended to pay!” Sooner or later those who continue dabbling in this world will be overtaken by this world. Paul tells us: “come out from among them and be separate” (2 Co 6:17). Get away from the gutter before you end up rolling into it!