I was not at the beach today though it must look like it. I was at a water park with my daughters and their friends practicing NOT looking at the lady who thought it was a good idea to wear her golden bra here.
I had a friend when I first came to Christ who I really admired and looked up to in the Lord who used to look at a girl, smile, look back at us guys and say, "nice creation" and justified it to me when I asked about it by saying, "what's wrong she is God's creation?" I really struggled to answer that but for me it was lustful and took me in the direction of my old life- and I did not want to go back there. Not more than a few months after this incident my friend was acting out tremendous sexual immorality. It didn't stop with a look. He became so bound by sexual immorality that he nearly shipwrecked his Faith and it took a lot of time and pain to come back to the Lord.
I didn't choose to feel the way I do about trying to be a pure man. I can't say that reading the Bible has made me this way. I can't say that I merely want to spare my wife and children from pain, hurt, and potential divorce. The burning fever I have to stay with God, stay with my wife and family, and FIGHT sexual temptation isn't natural or something I can explain. I still have the same urges and sometimes being pure is a fight. I was shocked that the magazine stand at a certain gas station caught my eye a couple of days ago- I remember the fear I felt when I glanced that way.. what if I fell..?
So, I feel inside of me the lusts of a man sometimes. My eyes work as well- or better than many guys and what interests my eyes is completely operational in me- what catches my eyes is as powerful as any guy. Running alongside that man within me I DO feel another man running. This man is responsible. He is afraid of hurting his children, hurting his wife, disappointing people, and embarrassing himself. (yes, pride is in him). But there is a third man running inside of me that is powerful and angry. This man pulls my eyes away from an irresponsible woman wearing something she shouldn't. This man is something else- something "other". This man sees and understands things- avoids things before they come. This man sees the outcome of good and evil. This man runs faster and harder than the others- the more I seek God with my life- the more I want to be like this man.
This man is the violent that can take the Kingdom of God by force. When we are born of God by coming to Jesus Christ you see- we don't cease becoming men but we become new men who desire and strive to serve the Lord. Something new is born within us that desires to serve the Lord- this desire can increase by actually seeking the Lord. Yes we still have the ability to fall- but we have the ability to run- to run hard and chase the Lord. We have his power- we are not alone. We have his wisdom- and we are given understanding. We will still battle and fight things and we'll have to learn how to live a new way but we receive a deposit from God that grows and grows the more we seek God.
The Christian life is not like the old life. Step into the Light and run with us.
Let's GO God. Let's run.
No comments:
Post a Comment