Abstain From All Appearance of Evil

Daily Devotional – Thursday, March 2, 2023
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV)

I am a soccer fan but I no longer watch matches in social places. Everything changed one Sunday evening after an exciting game that my team had won. It took much reflection and soul-searching to decide to abstain from my favourite weekend pastime.

Stay Away From Every Kind of Evil

Here is a little background to my story. My preferred spot for watching soccer was an club. Here, drunkards and non-alcoholics mingled freely. On one table, you would find an unholy collection of liquor and soft drinks. Alternatively, beer drinkers would occupy a table adjacent to soft drinks lovers.

Now, on the fateful day, as I walked down the stairs of the club after the game, a thought came to my mind. “If someone who knows you sees you in this bar, will they believe you are not an alcoholic? How comfortable would you be if you met a fellow believer as you exited the building?”

Reject Every Kind of Evil.

Another voice in my mind answered, “Why bother about people’s opinions if you know you are not a drunkard? You know yourself and you are not guilty. Even God knows you have never taken beer.”

In that brief moment, the first voice came back, this time with a Bible verse. “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). I knew right there that God was speaking to me. While watching football at the pub was not in itself evil, it had negative connotations.

Abstain From all Appearance of Evil

First, I was at risk of falling of embracing alcoholism and the attendant evils. Two, my conduct could be misconstrued to mean I was living a double life. There was a likelihood that I would be a stumbling block to a new believer or someone who wanted to know Jesus.

As Christians, God calls us to a very high standard of accountability. Your life is not your own. It belongs to God. Your words and actions have a powerful influence on others, whether you know it or not. Therefore, you must abstain from all appearance of evil, not just evil itself.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to abstain from all appearances of evil.