Sunday, January 5, 2014

Proverbs 5 - Day 5

"For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes."
                                                                        Proverbs 5:21


Sexual immorality has been around for thousands of years.  It was a problem long before David was king and he lived nearly a thousand years BEFORE Jesus walked the earth.  I guess that's why they call prostitution "the world's oldest profession."  You would think that man would've learned how to overcome the seductive nature of sexual immorality in that amount of time... but we haven't.  Proverbs 5 warns of the destruction that can come from giving in to temptation and the guilt and public disgrace that ruins a persons life.

It always starts out innocently enough.  A co-worker or an acquaintance starts a conversation with you.  Then it moves from a casual conversation to a more involved conversation letting you know that you can trust this person.  A friendship is formed.  Maybe you start walking to the cafeteria together as you talk about the day you're having.  Next thing you know it has become a habit or something that you look forward to during the day.  Maybe you both show up at an event for a colleague whose leaving and have a conversation over drinks or maybe your kids play soccer together and you talk to each other during the games.  Eventually, there will come a point where you will have to choose whether or not to allow this relationship to move to the next level.  By then it's usually too late.  If you don't take the next step, then you'll ruin the friendship and lose everything.  If you do move to the next step, then you'll ruin your marriage and your family.  Again, by this point it's too late.  It's truly a "Lose-Lose" situation.

The warning of Proverbs 5 is that this will occur in everyone's life.  Evil works it's way into our lives to test us.  We need to be able to identify the situation before it becomes a problem.  If you are married, you should never have a more detailed conversation with anyone other than your spouse.  If you are, then you are potentially opening yourself up for problems.  We may not see the slow progression as clearly as we should, but the Lord sees clearly the path that is being taken.  The  choices that are made by the desires of the heart.  If there are desires that are not being met, you need to have that conversation immediately with your spouse and no one else.

The family is the nucleus of ALL civilization.  When the family is destroyed it is much easier for evil to make it's way into the children, into the community, and into the world.  Our children grow up without a proper model of the family unit.  Therefore, when they make decisions in the future their decision tree is not structured properly.  They will always have the default answer of "well my dad did it" or "my mom did it so it can't be that bad."  The Bible gives us God's definitive answer to our problems by showing us how God intended life to be.  God designed marriage and sanctified it.  Only within this covenant relationship can we find REAL love and fulfillment. 

When we decide that we know better than God, that our situation is different, that love is love no matter who you're with, we are telling God that "You're not the boss of me..." and "I can do whatever I want."  God agrees.  He wants to have a loving relationship with you not a "Boss-Employee" relationship or a "Dictator-Oppressed" relationship.  He allows you to do what ever you want.  One GIANT footnote though...  God has a plan for you and it was developed to maximize your happiness.  It is the BEST possible plan for you that can ever be.  If you decide to turn your back on God, He may decide that you need to work through some greater challenges before you get back on track to the life He has for you.

Your spouse is a gift from God and your children are a gift from God.  Rejoice in them and work through any issues with them - for God sees clearly your thoughts, your motives, your decisions and the desires of your heart.  God designed sex and the pleasure it brings.  The pleasure of sex is magnified when it occurs within God's definition of marriage.  Give yourself fully to your spouse and only to your spouse and bask in the glorious life that God has designed for you.


The Shepherd


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