“You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (2 Peter 3:17, NLT)
At an estate auction in Ohio, a rusty, old horse bit came up for auction. An old-time horse rancher thought he’d restore it and put it up over the entryway to his house. Each time he bid on the item an older woman outbid him. After bidding ten times what the horse bit was worth, the horse rancher gave up and let the woman win the bit.
While paying for his wins after the auction, the horse rancher saw the woman who won the horse bit. He approached her. He introduced himself and mentioned that he had bid against her for the horse bit. He then asked, “Why did you bid so much for an old, rusty horse bit?”
The woman whispered back, “My dad used to have a horse bit just like that one. I thought of him and missed him. I got all carried away with memories and felt I just had to have that horse bit. I really don’t have a place for it. I just didn’t want to lose the auction. Somehow, I figured if I lost the auction, I would let my dad down. Would you buy it from me?” The horse rancher paid less than half of what the older woman paid for the bit. After restoring that bit, the rancher mounted it right where he had planned.
The woman at the auction explained her actions with the words, “I got all carried away…” When a person gets carried away with some notion or idea or plan or thing, they often react with emotion. They usually won’t respond out of a reasonable attitude. Getting carried away in the moment causes you to act rashly, often regretting what happened. You see, getting carried away can easily cause you not only to overreact or regret your responses, getting carried away can actually result in sinful actions or attitudes or harm.
In the 1870’s a wealthy father approached James Garfield, the principal of Hiram College in Ohio. The man’s son was failing his classes. The father was worried that his son would either give up or be expelled because of his grades. When the father saw Garfield (who would later be president of the United States!), he asked Garfield if the course of study could be simplified so that his son might be able to go through by a shorter route.
Garfield replied, “Certainly”, then cautioned the father with a bit of wisdom. “It all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, HE takes a hundred years. When HE wants to make a squash, HE requires only two months.” Angus J. MacQueen, after quoting Garfield in a 1990’s book added, “We are producing too many squashes and not enough oak trees in our day.” (10,000 Sermon Illustrations).
Nearly everyone gets “carried away” at some time. This father didn’t want his son to fail. The woman at the auction didn’t want to fail her father. When you get carried away with emotion, it is all too easy to take wrongful shortcuts or throw caution to the wind. Sometimes, getting carried away can even lead to sinful choices.
In our scripture reading for this meditation, Peter cautioned his readers with the words, “be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (2 Peter 3:17). Peter knew that impatience and rash thinking caused some regretful moments in his own relationship with Jesus. At one time, Peter got so upset that he rebuked Jesus. In response, Jesus railed at Peter with strong words, saying, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not on the side of God but men.” (Mark 8:33). When Jesus was taken away by soldiers, Peter again had a moment of weakness. He denied Jesus three times (John 18). Peter learned the hard way that a person may easily be “carried away” into sin.
In 2 Peter 3:17, Peter opined that “wicked people” can manipulate you into getting carried away into sin. There is no doubt that being carried away can be influenced by bad people in your life. Some of these will want to take advantage of you. Some will outright be manipulating you to do their bidding. What kinds of emotions seem to get you all carried away? Does anger cause you to “lose it”? Are there fears that push you to overreact? Is there something from your past that can be used against you in an evil way? It is very important that you recognize areas you may be vulnerable to being “carried away” into error.
I have found it easier to “keep my head” in difficult situations if I am spiritually attuned to God. This happens when I’m right with God, having confessed my sin and accepted God’s grace in return. Also, I find it easier to keep a level head when I’m actively praying on a regular basis, talking to God often, and living a life in alignment with the Holy Spirit.
How good are you at not being “carried away” by fads or emotions or flattery or other manipulations? Let prayer keep you level-headed. Let God’s Spirit direct your thoughts and attitudes. It only takes a few moments being carried away to do something you regret for a very long time.
While paying for his wins after the auction, the horse rancher saw the woman who won the horse bit. He approached her. He introduced himself and mentioned that he had bid against her for the horse bit. He then asked, “Why did you bid so much for an old, rusty horse bit?”
The woman whispered back, “My dad used to have a horse bit just like that one. I thought of him and missed him. I got all carried away with memories and felt I just had to have that horse bit. I really don’t have a place for it. I just didn’t want to lose the auction. Somehow, I figured if I lost the auction, I would let my dad down. Would you buy it from me?” The horse rancher paid less than half of what the older woman paid for the bit. After restoring that bit, the rancher mounted it right where he had planned.
The woman at the auction explained her actions with the words, “I got all carried away…” When a person gets carried away with some notion or idea or plan or thing, they often react with emotion. They usually won’t respond out of a reasonable attitude. Getting carried away in the moment causes you to act rashly, often regretting what happened. You see, getting carried away can easily cause you not only to overreact or regret your responses, getting carried away can actually result in sinful actions or attitudes or harm.
In the 1870’s a wealthy father approached James Garfield, the principal of Hiram College in Ohio. The man’s son was failing his classes. The father was worried that his son would either give up or be expelled because of his grades. When the father saw Garfield (who would later be president of the United States!), he asked Garfield if the course of study could be simplified so that his son might be able to go through by a shorter route.
Garfield replied, “Certainly”, then cautioned the father with a bit of wisdom. “It all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, HE takes a hundred years. When HE wants to make a squash, HE requires only two months.” Angus J. MacQueen, after quoting Garfield in a 1990’s book added, “We are producing too many squashes and not enough oak trees in our day.” (10,000 Sermon Illustrations).
Nearly everyone gets “carried away” at some time. This father didn’t want his son to fail. The woman at the auction didn’t want to fail her father. When you get carried away with emotion, it is all too easy to take wrongful shortcuts or throw caution to the wind. Sometimes, getting carried away can even lead to sinful choices.
In our scripture reading for this meditation, Peter cautioned his readers with the words, “be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (2 Peter 3:17). Peter knew that impatience and rash thinking caused some regretful moments in his own relationship with Jesus. At one time, Peter got so upset that he rebuked Jesus. In response, Jesus railed at Peter with strong words, saying, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not on the side of God but men.” (Mark 8:33). When Jesus was taken away by soldiers, Peter again had a moment of weakness. He denied Jesus three times (John 18). Peter learned the hard way that a person may easily be “carried away” into sin.
In 2 Peter 3:17, Peter opined that “wicked people” can manipulate you into getting carried away into sin. There is no doubt that being carried away can be influenced by bad people in your life. Some of these will want to take advantage of you. Some will outright be manipulating you to do their bidding. What kinds of emotions seem to get you all carried away? Does anger cause you to “lose it”? Are there fears that push you to overreact? Is there something from your past that can be used against you in an evil way? It is very important that you recognize areas you may be vulnerable to being “carried away” into error.
I have found it easier to “keep my head” in difficult situations if I am spiritually attuned to God. This happens when I’m right with God, having confessed my sin and accepted God’s grace in return. Also, I find it easier to keep a level head when I’m actively praying on a regular basis, talking to God often, and living a life in alignment with the Holy Spirit.
How good are you at not being “carried away” by fads or emotions or flattery or other manipulations? Let prayer keep you level-headed. Let God’s Spirit direct your thoughts and attitudes. It only takes a few moments being carried away to do something you regret for a very long time.