When I was serving as a youth leader I had the opportunity to attend a few gatherings and conferences. At one large gathering I attended I heard a man teach on sex and dating. He stated that the most commonly asked question by youth is "How far can we go on a date?" His response is usually something like: "I don't know, Mukwonago. How far do your parents let you drive?" This of course, was not the answer they were looking for....but I thought it was funny!
What does this have to do with you? I am assuming that if you are reading my blog, that you are a parent, married and are allowed to drive wherever you want, so what's the point? Well, I believe the concept of his statement can apply to all areas of our life. It seems to me that we are all a bit like those teens, wanting to know "how close to the line can we get, without crossing it?" How much can we talk about our neighbors business, before it moves from a prayer request to gossiping? How many of the new delights can we sample before it moves from nourishing, to gluttony? How long can we stare at the person at the pool, before it moves from glancing around our environment to lusting? I think we all have times when we try to see how far we can go.
I know that many people believe that there really is no harm in pushing the limits. I hear people say all the time, "I can look but I can't touch." Seriously? How is that bringing honor to your marriage? I also hear people say, "It is the truth isn't it, so if she didn't want us to talk about her, then she should keep her business private." I disagree with these ideas. It does matter how far we go.
James chapter 1 tells us that we are tempted by our desires. That these evil desires entice us. It tells us what happens when we allow ourselves to linger or move close to the line. Once your desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin and then that sin continues to grow until it finally leads to death. It all starts with a small desire. There is harm in looking, there is harm in straying from pure talk and pure actions, they lead to death. We know that as we continue to give into desires, the line we have drawn will move farther and farther from where God wants us to be.
Let me encourage you today to take a look at the lines that you have drawn for you and your family. In what areas of your life are you pushing the limits that God has placed in front of you? Are you teaching your children that they can give into their desires as long as they stop before it becomes sin? Take a few moments and read through James chapter 1 and let us all remember that he ends the chapter by reminding us to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. It is a difficult task, but I pray that we will all choose Life with Christ and turn from death in the world.
2 comments:
I think this needs some clarification. Are you saying it's wrong to think someone else besides your spouse is attractive? Sometimes that's just a fact!! If God had intended us to only see beauty in our spouse, we'd all be blind. I find nothing wrong in seeing the beauty in another person. That doesn't mean I want to get in bed with them or that I have an impure thought. I also find it hard to believe that I am SINNING if I eat an entire pizza rather than just a few slices. If such thought is the case, then nearly every single thing we do every moment of our lives is a sin. Am I sinning now because I am questioning you? Not trying to be controversial, but I do want to challenge this thinking. Am I sinning because I didn't take a shower today? Am I sinning because I don't force my children to drink a glass of milk every day? I do not believe there is a line drawn in the sand. Yes, there is sin. But I haven't seen where God is going to damn me to hell because I ate a whole bag of Doritos or I think Channing Tatum is a good looking man. Opinions?
I love your questions! I have chosen to respond to your challenge in the post, "Let's Chat." I hope that this post will help clarify any questions you may have. Blessings!
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