So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. Don't let your hearts stray away toward her. Don't wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.
What a dumb, dumb man. But isn't that all of us?
We get ensnared by all sorts of things that attract or attention, pull us with some cheap allure. And there is another person, a friend, that sees us wandering to our death. They see the trap, see our first steps, and know exactly what's going to happen. This is the "Path Principle," as Andy Stanley calls it.
The power of pornography resonates here. At first, you think there is no harm in it, then it becomes an absolute nightmare. Others can see where you are headed, but you are blinded. Soon, it becomes addicting. Healthy relationships can become strained. Your only deliverance is your dependence on God. That is the Good News.
Lust and infidelity are obviously at the forefront in this chapter, but the text can be taken to show any trivial, flesh-driven desire that takes us off the path we are on, and onto one that leads to destruction.
What is encouraging is that someone normally sees the path you are headed down. So, I invite you, friends, speak up! Rattle the cage. Let me know when I will perish from worldly allure.
It is the strong words from a friends, and the loving hand of God that can deliver you from darkness.
1 Corinthians 7 was a great tie in to focus on the duties of a husband and wife. To stay true to them. To please them. Lust for others will destroy you marriage and what you've created.
Walker
Man I just love how our passages flow together. Thank you Jesus.
ReplyDeleteWay to step up and say the p-word Rob. The tools of the enemy lose a lot of force when they have to come out in the light. I picked up Tender Warrior again this week and it's speaking to the same strengths that pornography attacks. Speaking of marriage, it said that a man's promise creates a little haven of certainty in an unpredictable world, and that a promise is the anti-toxin to the toxin of comparison. I'd like to hear what you guys think about that.
YES! A man has the ability to speak life into people. A kept promise is a chosen priority. It's thinking for someone, about someone, and setting time aside for someone. A father's broken promise with no apology is devastating. There is a haven to rest in knowing that someone loves you enough to keep you at the top of their list. I have a lot of broken promises, but good thing God's promises are always kept and always perfect.
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