Stay Out of the Gym!
By Lisa Boyer
“Then, after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
James 1:15
Dear friend, we’ve needed to talk about this for a long time now, so I hope you don’t mind if we do it today…right now. You say you know where the line is and you won’t cross it, but you have over and over again. Now you question if there is such a thing as victory.
Maybe the question that needs to be addressed is “when is sin sin?” Is it when you actually cross that line or does it begin before that? We know sin is not the initial temptation because Jesus was tempted and still never sinned. But maybe it begins that split second after the temptation comes when you choose to entertain the idea rather than put it out of your mind. How often is it that by the time those thoughts are finished running through your mind you stop and look around, only to find yourself on the other side of that line - - not knowing how you got there?
Could it be that it is in our thoughts - - before an act of sin - - that the desire is conceived which gives birth to sin and once that desire is there it is nearly impossible to turn back?
If Eve had walked away from the serpent in the garden when she first heard “did God really say,” would she have eaten the fruit and sinned? Likely not, but she stayed, listened to the serpent, thought about what he said, and then desired the fruit and ate.
If the biblical King David had left the roof the moment he saw Bathsheba bathing and hadn’t given her a second thought, would he have sinned? No, but it sure seems that he kept thinking about her, inquired about her and then sent for her (knowing she was married) because he desired her.
We believe we know where the line is, but maybe the line is well before we think it is. Picture the free throw line on a basketball court, that’s where we think the line is. But in reality, the line is the half court line because that is the point when we decide whether to entertain the thought or not.
Friend, there is such a thing as victory! It begins with consistently putting those thoughts out of your mind immediately - - before desire is conceived! And it gets even easier when you “stay out of the gym” completely by avoiding anything and everything that prompts temptation in the first place.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Today, will you prayerfully commit to begin staying as far away from the line as possible? FURTHER READING:
Genesis 3:1-6; II Samuel 11; I Corinthians 15:57Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. She serves in Student Ministries at Oakwood Church as a small group leader.
