Question 1

What should I avoid?

Accepted Answer

1 Thessalonians 5:22Stay away from every kind of evil.1 Peter 2:11Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.We should avoid anything that will damage our relationship with God. We should avoid sin as much as we possibly can.Leviticus 19:4“Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.”Matthew 6:33“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”1 Corinthians 10:14So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.1 John 5:21Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.We should avoid anything that could take God’s place in our lives.Proverbs 4:24Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.Proverbs 20:3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.Philippians 2:14Do everything without complaining and arguing.2 Timothy 2:16Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.2 Timothy 2:23Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.Titus 3:9Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.We should avoid gossiping, complaining, quarreling, or saying anything perverse or hurtful to others.Colossians 3:5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.We should avoid all idolatry and ungodliness. When we turn our backs on evil, we turn our faces toward God.Proverbs 3:6-7Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.Proverbs 14:16The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.We should avoid making important life decisions by ourselves. When we seek wisdom from the Lord, we will avoid many errors in judgment.

Question 2

What shouldn’t I avoid?

Accepted Answer

Jonah 1:3Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.Luke 14:17-20“When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’We should not avoid doing what God has called us to do. That is sinful, and we will miss out on the joy and satisfaction of accomplishing what God created us to do and what is important to him. And like Jonah, we may also be miserable for it.Proverbs 24:12Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew.Ecclesiastes 8:3Don’t try to avoid doing your duty, and don’t stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants.We should not avoid fulfilling our commitments and responsibilities. We are responsible for God’s work, especially when we are the ones he has chosen to do it.Deuteronomy 22:4“If you see that your neighbor’s donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it back on its feet!”Psalm 38:11My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.Isaiah 58:7“Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”We should not avoid doing good for those in need. Helping someone in need reflects the love of Jesus.Job 1:8Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”Psalm 101:3I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.Psalm 119:3They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.Proverbs 16:6Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.Proverbs 16:17The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.Romans 13:14Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.1 Peter 3:11Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.We should not avoid developing a close relationship with God. Keeping a close relationship with God helps us avoid sin. The closer we are to God, the further we are from evil and the less likely we are to sin. When we seek wisdom from the Lord, we will avoid many errors in judgment.

Question 3

Why do I often want to avoid the things I shouldn’t?

Accepted Answer

2 Corinthians 6:2God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.Hebrews 3:8, 15Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness . . . Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”We may want to avoid things we shouldn’t because we think our plans are better than God’s or that his plans are too inconvenient for us. We need to realize that God’s call to us deserves and requires an immediate response. He will not ask us to do anything without giving the resources and power we need to accomplish it. If we avoid the opportunities God gives us, we will miss his blessings as well.Jonah 1:3Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.Luke 10:30-32Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.”We sometimes avoid God’s will for us because we erroneously think our plan is better or his plan is inconvenient for us. If we could see from God’s perspective or think his thoughts, we would realize that his way is best.Galatians 6:4-5Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.We may avoid what we shouldn’t avoid because we are lazy or undisciplined. But great satisfaction comes from doing our work well. Avoiding our responsibilities will leave us feeling guilty and lower our self-esteem. We won’t feel the need to compare ourselves to others when we are satisfied with our work and are doing what God wants us to do.Galatians 6:3If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.We may want to avoid what we shouldn’t because of pride. A prideful spirit cannot be tolerated in the heart of someone called to serve others.

Question 4

What can avoidance lead to?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 13:15“For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.”Ephesians 4:18Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.Consistently avoiding God’s involvement in our lives can lead to separation from him.Proverbs 29:18When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.Hebrews 12:25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!Avoiding God’s divine guidance for our lives leads to danger. God alone knows our personal futures.Matthew 25:41-46“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.It is a personal affront to God when we avoid helping people in need.

Avoidance