Do You Throw Banana Peels?

I grabbed a banana from the kitchen counter and hurried to the car. Breakfast would have to be on the run. My youngest son, Daniel, sat in the seat beside me talking about video games, books, and movies I knew nothing about.

My last bite of banana went in my mouth, and I handed Daniel the peel. “Make sure there’s no one behind us and toss that out the window please.”

Daniel rolled down the window and just as he heaved the peel outside, a heavy breeze blew it right behind our car onto the highway. “Mama! Do think we could make a car slip off the road because we threw out that banana peel?”

“I’m not sure it works like that, buddy.”

“Oh, come on. Tell me it wouldn’t be crazy to look in the mirror and see a car zigzagging because they slipped on a banana peel. Or a whole bunch of them if we had them.” He checked the mirror and laughed to himself.

Old cartoons flashed through my mind. As a kid, slipping on a banana peel seemed like the ultimate gag to play on someone. I never performed this mischief, but I always wanted to.

But now that I think about it, maybe I have thrown a few banana peels behind me. Not in the physical sense, but definitely in the spiritual one.

Peels of Temptation

Romantic comedies filled my weekends as a teenager and young adult. Sweet stories of unexpected love, knights on white horses, and vacation hook-ups. My group of friends and I would have movie marathons late into the night, complete with tears and tissues. While these movies made our hearts swell, they also created unrealistic expectations of love and relationships. By choosing this type of movie, did I cause anyone to slip on a banana peel of lust? Temptation? Unrealistic expectations?

And what about those late-night ice cream runs? Candy. Chocolate sauce. Whipped cream. Giant bowls filled to the brim. Even when my friends told me they were watching their weight or eating healthier, still I insisted. “Just one bowl. It won’t hurt.” Did I cause them to slip on the banana peel of gluttony? Temptation? Lust?

Or how about those cute outfits I wanted to wear?  Shorty shorts. Spaghetti straps. Skin-tight scoop necked. On the mom side of teenage-hood, I now understand that these cute little outfits weren’t harmless. They were provocative and can cause others to stumble while looking at our bodies. Have I ever thrown out a banana peel of provocativeness? Did the onlookers slip on the peel of lust? Adultery with their eyes? Covetousness?

Peels of Approval

A lady approached me in the dollar store. My gut told me who she might be, and her introduction confirmed my suspicion. The last time we talked several years prior, she appeared unhealthy, gaunt, and distant. Her life was in shambles, and she made one bad decision after another. The woman in front of me was healthy, focused, and hopeful. She seemed like a brand-new person.

The more she spoke, the more I noticed she had a semblance of understanding about God, but missed many important pieces. Her ideology wasn’t correct. And her view of the afterlife made my hair want to stand on end. That’s when I engaged in an in-depth conversation about who Jesus really is and the promise of heaven for those who believe.

Except I didn’t.

I nodded. Listened. My insides screamed. But because I was in a tight spot of really needing to find a bathroom, along with feeling uncomfortable with her misconceptions, I appeared to approve of all she said. She honestly wanted my thoughts. But I didn’t give them. I missed the opportunity to point this lost soul to Christ. And I laid out the peel of approval for her to eventually slip on.

Rearview Mirror of Life

Every time I eat a banana in my car, I look behind me to see where the peel lands. Am I also looking in the rearview mirror of life? Are my words and actions carefully guarded by the control of the Holy Spirit? What about attitudes and inflection? Will I lead others to slip and fall on the peels I am leaving behind?

How about you? What peels are you throwing behind for others to slip on?

(For more on temptation: How to Defeat the Temptation to Eat All the Chocolate – Inspire A Fire)

(For more reading in scripture on causing others to stumble, please read Romans 14)

Copyright May 2025, Christy Bass Adams   All images from Canva