cktimes.ca Archives for The Pastoral Lens
The Pastoral Lens
No Fly Zone
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I recently returned from 2 weeks of excellent vacation time with my family. One of the day trips we took was to visit Colasanti's Greenhouses in Leamington, Ontario. We spent a wonderful day with my father-in-law and his wife, as well as Gail's mom. Before leaving for the day my 3 daughters talked me into getting them a venus fly trap. Have you ever seen one of these unique plants from God's creation? They grow like any other plant through photosynthesis, etc., but with a twist. The ends of their tendrils have bi-valve "traps" that are open and waiting for an unsuspecting victim from the insect realm. Flies that get too close to this interesting plant get scooped up and are then a tasty dinner for 'ol Venus. The poor fly probably didn't know what hit him. There he was, flying around and just looking for a nice plant to land on, never knowing that death was lurking. For the common insect, the area around the venus fly trap is definitely a "no fly zone."As I watched the girls put a tiny grasshooper in one of Venus' many mouths, I started thinking about the nature of sin. The devil has a way of just "lurking" in the background of our lives until that opportune moment when he takes hold of us in our moment of weakness. This is the lure of internet pornography. People who are enslaved to this insidious addiction can hide in the privacy of their home or office and indulge in their fantasy. Many who are trapped in this sin feel that no damage is being done because the sexual sin is not physical in nature. However, Jesus would beg to differ. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The patriarch, Job, was also aware of the fact that it is the eye gate where much sin comes into our lives. In Job 31:1 he said, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." Make no mistake, immoral images on a computer screen are a definite "no fly zone" for the one who wants to have a good marriage and tyo walk in the ways of righteousness.
Sometimes, unfortunately, the only way to learn a lesson is to learn it the hard way. King David's son, Solomon, once the wisest man in the world, spent many years sucked in by lust and adultery. It wreaked havoc and ruined many years of his life. Nevertheless, he learned from his mistakes and penned these gripping words in Proverbs 6:32: "But a man who commits adultery lacks judgement; whoever does so destroys himself." Did you catch that? All adultery and sexual sin, whether in a hotel room or a chat room, is a path that leads to your soul's destruction.
I have hit upon a touchy subject this week, one of those elephants in the room that just won't go away until we are bold enough to deal with it. But elephants are big, and we will need help if it is to be removed. If you are reading this right now and you are caught in this web of deceit from the devil, this forgery of true love, I urge you to seek help from a pastor or other competent Christian counsellor. There is a way out and God will help you in it, but you must yield to His ways. Don't spend even one more day hovering around your soul's "no fly zone." Get help now!
