Proverbs 5:3-13 NKJV

Proverbs 5:3-13 NKJV

[3] For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; [4] But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. [5] Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell. [6] Lest you ponder her path of life— Her ways are unstable; You do not know them. [7] Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. [8] Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, [9] Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one; [10] Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner; [11] And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed, [12] And say: “How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction! [13] I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!

I have always read this scripture (and others like it) as meaning only sexual immorality. I never really thought about it any other way. That one-track mindedness kept me from recognizing other sources of sinful danger; the kind that carries us away.

I heard a pastor say that ministry can become a mistress. Anything that we place ahead of God is an idol. Work, money, family, friends, or addictions can all be listed as "the other woman." All of these things can steer us away from God's will if we're not diligently pursuing Jesus first and foremost.