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Barber for a Day

By Michelle Cox 

The prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but the simple go on and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3 (ESV)

I wasn’t there, but I can so imagine the scene at my son’s house. Tim works at a college near his house, so he often goes home for lunch. On this particular day, he arrived just in time to find his wife standing there in stunned amazement from a discovery she’d just made. A most traumatic discovery!

She’d just found out that their six-year-old son had turned barber for the day, with shocking results to his once beautiful golden hair. Huge gaps covered the top of his head. There were other places in the back, and some of them had been cut all the way to the scalp.

When his mother asked why he’d done it, Jack responded that he’d noticed his hair needed a trim, so he’d thought he’d just do it himself. “But, Momma, I used the safety scissors,” he said, as if that would fix everything.

He kept running to the mirror to see if his hair had grown. Later that day, he ran up to his still traumatized mother and said, “I’ve got an idea. We can glue it back on!”

He knew he’d messed up, but the damage was already done. Visible damage that lasted for quite some time.

I’m sure that many of you are laughing with me—probably because you had a child who did something similar. Or maybe you did it and traumatized your parents.

You know, friends, we often do the same thing spiritually. We do something we know we shouldn’t do, and then—just like Jack made the excuse that he’d used the safety scissors—we start making excuses about why we did it or we try to rationalize our guilt.

Jack’s mangled haircut was visible for weeks, and the scars of our wrong choices will also be apparent. Our bad decisions often affect other people, and even worse, our relationship with God. 

Let’s become intentional about resisting temptation. Because just as our young barber discovered, making those wrong choices is never worth it.

Father, help me to make wise decisions. Remind me that my actions impact many people. Give me a heart that seeks after You. Amen.

Michelle Cox is a speaker and the bestselling author of Just 18 Summers, God Glimpses from the Jewelry Box, and God Glimpses from the Toolbox. Her new book, When God Calls the Heart: Devotions from Hope Valley, is available now for pre-order. Visit her at GodGlimpses.com and www.Just18Summers.com. You can follow her at Michelle Cox Inspirations on Facebook and on Twitter @michelleinspire.

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