Do you want a red berry?

Do you want a red berry?

My parents have always had a soft spot for Black Lab dogs.

Black Labs have proven to be gentle and kind,

however a little slow to recognize danger.

My Parent’s property has an interesting poisonous berry called “Nightshade”.  Ever since I was a little kid, they warned me to keep my grubby mitts off the Nightshade.

I am trying to resist the temptation to talk about Eve in the Garden of Eden, looking at the forbidden tree and seeing that its fruit was tasty ~ but I will stay off that rabbit trail and get back on point. 

Years ago, my folks had a  Black Lab named “Ginger” that seemed to be addicted to “Nightshade”. 

Ginger would find herself a tasty Nightshade plant and eat a couple of the poisonous red berries.  It didn’t take long for her eyes to get a flat sickly look.   Her hair would start falling out and she would spend a lot of time laying by the creek in the shade.

You would think the side effects of Nightshade would offset whatever pleasure she got from eating them but ~ nope ~ the next summer she would be right back snacking on the poisonous berries. 

My mom found the whole thing educational and whenever one of us started to do something stupid, she would ask, “Do you want a red berry?”  (referring of course to the Nightshade)

The moral of this story is simple, when faced with a decision, ask yourself, “What are the consequences?” 

Perhaps ask it from a positive and a negative perspective. 

If I DO this, what are the consequences?

OR

If I DON’T do this, what will be the consequences? 

If the endgame is wrong or unhealthy, ask yourself,

“Do I want a red berry?” 

Before you roll your eyes and write this off as over simplistic, ask:

“What am I addicted to?” 

“What habit controls me?” 

“What is there in my life that I can’t stop?”

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.

Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”

Romans 6:16-18 NLT