Back in the old days, when my dad wanted to get rid of annoying ants, he’d paint this kind of sweet poison around the perimeters of kitchen counters and floors. Then he’d warn us that the stuff, although sweet, was very deadly, and not to try to taste it. He’d point to a dead ant or two and say,

“See how it killed them? You don’t want to be a dead kid, so hands off!”

Every year, my dad trotted out the same sweet, deadly stuff when the ants reappeared.

As I grew older, I learned that lots of “sweet” things weren’t necessarily good for me.

I ate too much chocolate candy one vacation and got pretty sick.

In college I dated a guy who seemed really sweet, but turned out to be, well, not sweet. He broke my heart and turned me cynical.

I read too many sweet, falsely romantic books and grew dissatisfied with my own life.

As a child, we think sweet is good. We judge everything by how pleasing an item is to our sensitive taste buds.

So I guess it’s natural to continue thinking, even as adults, that sweet is always good:

A sweet dessert, a sweet guy, a sweet movie, a sweet deal, etc.

We need to stop and think sometimes: Does this book, movie, music, concept, idea, opportunity, relationship line up with what God says is good? Our judgment is many times off the mark because we want to please ourselves.

But God is a wise parent and sees beyond our instant gratification. I’m sure that ant poison would have tasted sweet to my five-year-old tongue. But the consequence? I hate to think of it!

I hope we consider our “sweet” choices with the same gravity as a child being warned away from ant poison.

The sweetness of God and of being close to Him is far greater and better than seeking after “sweet” things that only bring pleasure for a fleeting time, but result in devastation.

“The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

They are are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19: 7, 10 and 11 NIV Bible)