My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. - Proverbs 1:10.

‘Cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse’ - My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil…. - Proverbs 1:14-16a.

To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation. - Proverbs 10:23-25.

The seniors on the New Britain High School all-girl marching band drill team (The Canettes) had some fun at the expense of the newest members of the drill team. The seniors sent the new members on a scavenger hunt for such things as a mailbox. All of the items that were found by the drill team were stolen. In fact, police officers found a 50-foot-long pile of stolen items in November that the drill team had taken. Of course, their parents, along with police and school officials were shocked that these normally law-abiding young girls would do such a thing. For the girls, it was difficult for them to understand that they had done anything wrong. One of the girls said, "I just thought it was a custom… kind of like a camaraderie thing. If the seniors said it was OK and they were in charge, then it was OK."

The really sad thing is that there are many who are not naïve young girls who are deceived, tricked and taken advantage of by those who view evil as fun. There are others who know it is wrong, but still listen to the voices of their friends and do it anyway. Because "everyone else is doing it" has become a mantra for young people, which can lead to some very serious trouble. For adults, it can lead to very serious trouble, as well. Many adults have been led to believe that there is a way to escape the payment of income taxes. But that fairy tale is simply not legally true. Others have been led to believe that the use of illegal substances such as marijuana or MDMA (Adam, ecstasy, XTC) is without any dangerous effects. But that is just another fairy tale. How many people, because everyone else was doing, it have an addiction today that controls everything in their lives?

How can you avoid being tricked, deceived, and manipulated by those who see evil as fun or as a sport? Solomon indicates that a man of understanding is able to see through those things. How can you have understanding? The beginning point is righteousness. Solomon says that the wicked will be destroyed "but the righteous has an everlasting foundation." We can only become righteous through Jesus (John 14:6; Romans 5:19). Once we have the right foundation, there is some building that needs to be done. Using the right materials will result in the growth of wisdom and understanding. Jesus says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24)." Jude sums it all up by saying, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 1:20-21)."

The next time someone tells you that "everyone else is doing it" or "it’s okay because of who else has done it" pause for a moment and think - ask yourself what Jesus would think about it. We must allow God to develop in us as the apostle Paul puts it, the "mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16c)."