Do you remember the tale of the fellow who was walking down the road in front of his house one bitterly cold morning? He came across a small half-frozen poisonous snake lying beside the pavement. Calling out in a weak voice the reptile asked for help, “Please sir, I am almost frozen to death. Could you please help me?”
The farmer felt a stir of pity, so he picked the creature up and placed him inside his warm jacket. The two then began the short walk back toward the house. Of course in just a short time, the snake began to warm up and began feeling back to his normal self. He then sank his fangs into the kind man’s flesh.
The farmer cried out in shock and pain, and reaching inside his jacket, he grabbed the reptile. “Why did you do that?! Now I will surely die!! I took you inside my own jacket when you were dying and gave you warmth, and you repaid my kindness like this!? Why??”
To which the snake replied, “Yes, you will die. But, you knew that I am a snake when you picked me up and put me in your coat. Yes, I bit you, ‘cause that is what snakes do.”
People often trifle with things and habits that are well known to hurt or destroy. If a guy ate dozens of hamburgers at his favorite restaurant daily, he would probably wind up morbidly obese. To blame the restaurant for his poor health, instead of his own personal indulgence, would be foolish and shortsighted.
When a person gives recreational drugs a try, ignoring the well-known promise of addiction, an unwise decision has been made on their part. Another spends all their income on fun, or extravagant clothing, or other non-necessities, it is also a badly thought-out choice. The time usually comes when they complain that they are broke and/or ill and want someone else to bail them out of their predicament.
Folks, no doubt about it, we can be, (and usually are) our own worst enemy. We impulsively decide to behave a certain way, or ingest a certain substance, or stuff our body with unhealthy food…and then we suffer the consequences. And just like that unfortunate and unthinking farmer, we bear the responsibility for our actions.
I think we would be wise to remember the words of the snake, “You knew I was a snake when you picked me up. I simply did what snakes do, I bit you.”
Even the Bible says that you will reap what you sow.
We are Dr. Andy & Renie Bowman, authors of the nationally syndicated "CoffeeTime Column" and hosts of popular podcast "CoffeeTime with Andy & Renie Bowman". 