Not a Good Trade

This summer, I decided it was time to teach my kid how to fish. Now, I’m no expert fisherman—most of my fishing trips involve way more snacks than actual fish. But, as I stood there, pretending to know exactly what I was doing, my son brought me a hook with a worm dangling helplessly from its side, like it had been caught in the world’s smallest zipline accident. I said, “Buddy, the hook can’t be more obvious than the worm. You’ve got to hide it. Make the fish think it’s getting a free lunch, not a suspicious, metal-pierced worm.”

Fishing and temptation actually have a lot in common. We rarely fall for temptation when we see the danger upfront. If we clearly saw the consequences, we’d probably never take the bait. But temptation is tricky—it promises pleasure, convenience, or a quick solution, hiding the painful hook of regret and loss just beneath the surface.

Take Paras Shah, for example. Up until 2016, he had it made. He wasn’t just successful—he was "seven-figure salary" successful. He managed bonds for Citigroup, handling amounts of money so large I probably couldn’t even pronounce them correctly. But Paras had one little problem: he couldn’t resist the free food at the company cafeteria. Actually, not so free—he was fired for stealing cafeteria food. Imagine going home to your family and saying, "Honey, remember that amazing job? Yeah, it turns out cafeteria chicken fingers aren't complimentary."

It sounds ridiculous until we realize we're not that different. Every temptation we face, no matter how small, comes with hidden costs. Behind every impulse, behind every shortcut, there’s a hook waiting to pull us into damage and loss we never saw coming.

What temptation is dangling in front of you today? Before you bite, pause and ask yourself: Is this moment of pleasure worth the pain it will bring later? God gives us wisdom to spot the hook, strength to resist the bait, and grace when we've already bitten off more than we can chew. Don’t trade your destiny for temporary satisfaction. The trade-off isn't worth it. Today, choose wisdom over the worm.

Grace & Peace,

Nathan Lawson