It was a shocking tragedy. A 15-year-old boy was strangled by the family’s pet. The slender youth had gone to an upstairs bedroom to play with an 11-foot Burmese python. Nobody is sure how it happened, but the supposedly tame snake turned into a killer that took the boy’s life.

Why play with a powerful snake that can turn into a horrifying agent of death? Why even bring such a potentially dangerous creature into the house? This news story changes the old adage “Don’t play with fire!” into a flashing warning signal.

This warning applies even more to the hazard of playing with sin—some “small” thing that seems merely to give pleasure without hurting anyone. At first it seems harmless, but feed it, let it grow, take pride in it, and a trifling sin can become a terrible tragedy that “brings forth death” (Jas. 1:15). The writer of the Proverbs applied this truth to the area of sexual purity. “Do not lust after her beauty,” said Solomon (6:25).

As believers in Jesus Christ, we must check even the smallest evil the moment it springs up in our heart by confessing it to the Lord and asking Him to help us overcome it. Toying with a pet sin is like playing with a deadly pet. Sooner or later it will turn on us.

  — Vernon C. Grounds