There is an old saying that fits foolish people: "Out of the frying pan, into the fire." The actions of an impulsive, non-thinking person fit this statement. All too often in life we think we are escaping one predicament only to put ourselves into another one—one that is worse. Peter explained that some had escaped the corruption of the world only to be entangled again and more deeply (2 Peter 2:20).

Advisers in money matters often find that once people get their house in order, they go right ahead and slip into a mess again. It seems our guard is lowered. The most dangerous time seems to be the moment at which the first problem vanishes. Then we can become complacent again. It is not always easy to maintain our guard, but it is vital that we do. In time, when better habits are formed, we can relax our guard a little. It is great to get out of the frying pan—but if we don’t look carefully, we can land in the fire.