So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

(I Corinthians 10:12, NIV)

During training exercises, a young lieutenant was driving his jeep down a muddy back road, carefully trying to avoid the worst ruts. Rounding a bend, he spotted another jeep hopelessly bogged down in the muck.  Behind the wheel sat a red-faced colonel, clearly unhappy.

The lieutenant, feeling a bit smug at having kept his own vehicle moving, pulled up alongside and called out, “Your jeep stuck, sir?”

The colonel stepped out of his jeep, boots sinking in the mire, and calmly handed him the keys. “Nope,” he said. “Yours is.”

Suddenly someone who thought he didn’t have a problem discovered that he did!  But that’s how life often works.  We think we’ve avoided the trouble someone else is facing, only to find ourselves caught up in it, too.

Paul gave the Corinthians this warning against overconfidence: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”  The moment we assume we’re on solid ground is often the moment we’re most vulnerable.

Sin has a way of humbling us. Maybe it’s anger that flares up, impatience that boils over, or words we wish we could take back. We see others stumble in those areas and think, “I’d never do that!”  But Scripture reminds us — yes, we can.  And often, we do.

Fortunately, Paul doesn’t just give us a warning. The next verse says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).

In other words, getting stuck is common, but staying stuck isn’t necessary.  God always provides an escape route if we will look to him. The key is humility — acknowledging that we’re just as vulnerable as anyone else.

So, the next time you see someone bogged down in the mud of life, resist the urge to say, “I’m sure glad that’s not me.” Instead, remember Paul’s words: “Be careful that you don’t fall!”

Prayer: Father, keep us aware of our weaknesses and guard us from overconfidence.  May we always look to you when temptation comes, confident that you will provide the way out and the strength to endure.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day