One Small Step for Man, One Giant Problem Later

The other day, I realized we have a popsicle problem in our house. You know how it goes: summer arrives, and suddenly there's a secret supply chain from the freezer to the garage. It's like a heist film starring my own family. I'm half-expecting to find blue raspberry fingerprints at the crime scene.

The thing is, grabbing a popsicle without asking seems small. A minor infraction—like jaywalking or accidentally pocketing the bank pen. I tried explaining this ethical slippery slope to my kids, but they gave me the look that says, "Dad, it's flavored ice, relax."

But here’s the kicker: I reminded them of when they played sports back in Newport News, and how they’d get furious when gear vanished from their bags. They’d shake their heads in disbelief, saying, "Who steals sweaty shin guards?" So, I explained how it starts small—maybe with a popsicle—but can grow into something bigger. Suddenly, we're facing the shin-guard bandit of the sports league.

In a humorous essay from 1827, Thomas De Quincey joked, "If once a man indulges in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." Clearly, he's joking; murder doesn't typically lead to procrastination. But he makes a profound point backwards: It’s the small compromises that escalate into something serious.

We saw this clearly in King Saul’s life. Saul didn't wake up planning statues and assassination plots. It began subtly—just rushing ahead of Samuel, performing a sacrifice he shouldn't have. No big deal, right? He’s the king, after all. But that one small choice revealed the condition of his heart. Eventually, minor compromises led Saul far away from God's path, toward jealousy, arrogance, and violence.

As Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." We must guard integrity carefully, not out of legalism but from understanding that small ethical slips can lead us where we don’t want to go. So they almost always ask for a popsicle now, and I almost always say yes, because it’s crazy hot outside this week! Keep cool and see you this weekend!

Grace & Peace,

Nathan Lawson