LITTLE FOXES & HEAVYWEIGHTS
Foxes are crafty little creatures. They are mostly nocturnal beings that wreak havoc at night. They possess the ability to quietly gnaw their ways through the hedges and dig under the walls of the vineyard, destroying it at every little opportunity. Therefore, it takes a continuous effort, watchfulness, and maintenance by caretakers of vineyards. Metaphorically, these little foxes are the destructive sins that both sinners and so-called Christians trivialize. Over the years, many lives and properties have been lost owing to the negligence of things that ought to have been given attention but were considered insignificant or harmless. These could be little carelessness, delay, frivolity, disobedience, lie, drunkenness, nonchalant attitude to God’s Word, misuse of time, envy, jealousy and forgiveness. Although these may appear inconsequential to men, not only are some of these sinful and detestable to God but they attract great punishment.
Do you know that great things often start in little ways? Little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Even the seemingly insignificant, little ant is important (Proverbs 6:6). The tongue, though a little member, it can defile the whole body and set on fire the course of nature, if not tamed. As little and harmless as termites may appear, they can destroy great buildings and trees, if you don’t get rid of them. Famous as Alexander the Great was, his carelessness with something he considered a little creature – the mosquito – cost him his dear life. These examples show that things you count as little can have adverse effects on lives and properties if not checked. The foregoing examples are the little foxes and heavyweights that spoil the vine of human lives.
The Little Unnoticed Foxes
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines have tender grapes.” These little foxes are the seemingly insignificant sins that creep into a Christian’s life because of carelessness, and even when noticed, many people overlook them. But the Scripture is replete with great damage done by little things. One of such is little fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden. By eating the fruit, they committed the sin of disobedience whose consequence is death. To further stress the detrimental effect of ”little” sin, Galatians 5:9 says that “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” This confirms how fast little sins can spread. We must, therefore, be watchful and consciously deal with them, lest they ruin our faith as Christians and leave us in perpetual bondage as sinners.
The devil doesn’t dangle something big and unattractive before his prey. He uses little and insignificant but enticing bait to draw their attention first, making them see nothing wrong with committing such offence or sin. Then after falling, “it doesn’t matter” becomes their slogan. Unfortunately, these are the destructive forces in the life of many Christians. They keep you from having intimate fellowship with God. They make you lose spiritual virtues and separate you eternally from God. On noticing such little foxes in the lives of the Galatian Christians, the apostle Paul lamented, “who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you” (Galatians 5:7-8).
The following are some of the little foxes that can hinder your complete obedience to God.
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A little sleep (Proverbs 24:33-34): This makes you to be spiritually poor and dry. It makes you a babe and unlearned when you should already be a teacher.
A little tongue (James 3:5-6): The misuse of this little member of the body is also a fox that destroys. A careless use of tongue can lead to exaggeration. And anything that goes beyond the truth is closely related to a lie. The more you misuse the tongue, the more you drift away from the truth and holiness.
Little delay (Hebrews 2:3): Little delay and neglect of salvation can lead to loss of life here and hereafter.
Little compromise (Roman 12:2): Little compromise may appear enticing and harmless at the outset, but eventually it will trap you in its web till it destroys you. Do you compromise to keep your job, friends and position? These are ephemeral things and little foxes that deprive people of heaven and eternal life.
Little fox of frivolity: This is failure to give attention to whatever deserves serious attention. Careless attitude towards the things of God keeps you away from enjoying the fullness of God’s blessings.
Little fox of talkativeness: Any time you spend engaging in a talk that doesn’t edify is a waste of time.
Little fox of prayerlessness: God commands us to pray; so it’s a sin if you don’t. Prayerlessness leaves the door open for all other sins. John Bunyan said, “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, as sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.”
Little fox of worldliness (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4): This makes you desire to please the world rather than God in dressing, marriage, child christening, burial ceremony, etc. It makes you shift from your initial conviction to the middle ground so that the world can applaud you.
Little fox of pride (Proverbs 16:18): This makes you think you’re better, smarter, more spiritual, and important than everyone else. It makes you esteem yourself above others. But remember that pride always goes before destruction. Desist from it.
Little fox of malice, self-indulgence and disobedience: They all start in a little way. Saul’s little act of disobedience and impatience made God to reject him. David-a man after God’s heart-allowed his little unguarded hour to lead him into sin of adultery and murder.
Heavyweights that kill
In Hebrews 12:1, the Scripture encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. The weight here is sin or any burden that impedes your progress and hinders you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. Naturally, heavyweights weigh and hinder you from going far in life. Imagine an athlete attempting to run while carrying a heavy weight; he will neither run well nor go far. This is exactly what sinful habits and attitude do to Christians.
The weights slow down the pace and progress of a Christian’s journey. They create a chasm between God and humanity. These are weights of adultery, fornication, stealing, backbiting, compromise, addiction, drunkenness etc that prevent you from being obedient to God. Someone said, “He who despises little things, shall fall little by little”. So discover those heavyweights and decisively deal with them before they destroy you.
Destroying the little Foxes and Remove Heavyweights
The first step in destroying the little foxes of sin and getting rid of the heavyweights is to identify them. Then confess and repent of those sins, and lay aside the weights. For the Scriptures says, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Having received Christ into your heart, always depend on Him and nourish yourself in the Word of God.
In conclusion: as a backslidden Christian, you need to repent and be restored. Then be watchful at all times; guard against these foxes so as to prevent their subsequent entrance; avoid being careless and the Lord will preserve and sustain you to the end of time.
