Spiritual Warfare #45

Continuing Consequences of Sin by Charles Stanley
There is another group of people who suffer more than they admit. These are the ones who make a horrendous mistake of believing that if they will just go to bed with another person, they will find the intimacy and love that their hearts long to experience.

Secular psychologists have long suggested that sex outside marriage leads to feelings of guilt, shame, and low self-esteem. Christian counselors know this is true, because sexual intimacy is the most private expression two people can have for one another. It touches the core of a person, and if that touch is one of no commitment or lasting love, it can be devastating.

People misuse sex for many selfish reasons:
1. to build personal self-esteem
2. to meet personal desires
3. to control another person
4. to make financial gains (This includes prostitution)
5. to express lust and abuse

The man sitting across from me had refused to listen to the caution of his friends. He had been determined to carry on an affair, even though he was married. As a believer, he should have known better, but he had opened the door to sin through what seemed to be a harmless act of kindness at his job.

A coworker was hurting, and at first she just wanted to talk about her husband and the trouble they were having. He reassured her everything would work out and he would pray for her family. Soon they began to go to lunch together-just to talk. They laughed freely, and when confronted by another coworker, he became defensive and responded quickly: "We're just friends." His answer was spoken with enough force to back others away from mentioning the subject again.

After a few weeks, they decided to stay at the office a little later and then grab a bit to eat before heading home. Step-by-step they became emotionally involved to the point that he realized he was getting up in the morning thinking about the woman at his office and not about the wife he was leaving for the day. When his wife asked about his late evenings, he became more defensive. He began to think the only one who really knew and understood him was the woman at his office. By then, his peers were avoiding him and his friend. They knew what was about to happen, and some also knew how it would end.

A friend had tried one final time to convince the man that his actions were dead wrong. But the warning came too late. His mind was seared, made up, and engulfed in a desire to express his passion for this woman, which he evidently did-not once but many times-until his wife packed her bags and left.

Tears rolled down his face, and he could barely make eye contact with me because he finally realized the weight of his sin.

Tomorrow we'll look at the consequences of sexual sin. If you know someone in a similar situation, talk to them, and try to save them from the devastation that comes from this.

On a personal note, all four of us are sick. The cat is doing better the last few days! The dog may have to go to the vet. My laptop is back from the shop with a new hard drive! Greg's computer is dragging. I dare to say that our dog Casey and our goldfish are the only two without issues. Kristen and Greg aren't going to outdoor ed in Yosemite today so they can get better. Looking forward to healthier days. Blessings!