One would think that as we get older, we would also become wiser. But that is not always the case. Sometimes we grow more careless. Though we should know full well the dangers of breaking God’s commands, we can wane in our enthusiasm to follow the Lord.
Some of this might stem from weariness. We may have followed the Lord with all of our heart for many years. Yet now we are tired and, in our exhaustion, we grow careless. Or perhaps we have become cynical. After years of doing things the correct way, we may have been wounded by others or frustrated at people’s sinful behavior. Suddenly we find ourselves committing the same offenses. Or, perhaps after years of successful leadership, we begin to assume we are invincible, or beyond the possibility of falling in to sin. That is when we are most vulnerable.
You would think that you would naturally grow more loyal over time. But that is not true. Having followed someone for a long time, we can take our commitment for granted. Solomon probably never consciously chose to drift from God. He did so out of neglect and carelessness. Are you as loyal or more so to God today than you were five years ago? Are you sure?