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| Little Barracuda and his little followers. |
Why oh why would the fish hang out with their killer?! I am not a fish expect by any means but one thing I have observed is that fish are convenience scoundrels. They are easily enticed by bits of food tossed their way. When a fish is captured, other fish, shark, and rays come from all over to take advantage of the scraps, and sometimes the captured fish puts up a good fight and gets away with minor scars while other fish aren't so lucky. They can be quickly devoured by a larger fish.
I'm thinking to myself What a stupid fish!! Stop following the guy trying to eat you! I know you want his scraps, but the scraps may be you!! Then I felt the words of my spirit, We are all stupid fish, enticed by convenience, following after easy bits, willing to risk being captured, hoping you could escape the clutch of death if you ever got caught. Oh. True.
We certainly can be stupid fish too! We chase after what's easier, what convenient, without counting the costs or thinking we can escape being captured or caught. Each of us are enticed by something different and the evil one knows exactly what it is and he is happy to swim around with you and toss you a few scarps of delicious whatever so you will keep following along, until he turns on you and takes you! God also knows what your weakness and temptations are and that is why He went to the Cross and rose again on the 3rd day, to conquer death and give us victory over it!!
I know there are a bagillion whatevers in this world that entice us, but most recently the topic and issue of lust and pornography has come up so I thought I would specifically address this bait.
Again, I am neither a Fish Major or a Psychology Major, but I can tell you this...it starts with bait: moments of seeing something that appeals to you. In that moment, as you watch it glisten in front of you, you have the choice to follow after it, or flee from it. If we follow it, it will only continue to entice and lull us into a false sense of safety as we enjoy tasty little morsels. We are convinced nothing serious seems to be happening, besides, we haven't gotten caught....yet. So we follow. Or, remembering it leads to death, you turn the other way and take no chances.
Is it hard to walk away from the shimmer of beautiful bait? Yes.
But can you walk away? Yes.
Should you walk away? Yes.
Should you take a chance and hope for the best, believing you won't
be the one to get caught? Absolutely not!
What we forget to remember is that purity in our hearts, minds, souls and spirits in the overcoming power of temptation is waaaaaay more exciting, thrilling and satisfying than any sin we could ever join in. The pornography industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Sex sells. Every man (and woman) is enticed by sexual temptation from commercials, media outlets, sporting events, programs, to the apparel industry's choice of clothing, to those intentionally playing the role of Barracudas, lulling false hope and fulfillment to their potential followers. We must remain strong and quickly flee these murky waters. Each one of sees the bait but each one of us has the choice to go after it or flee from it. The damage done when we take the bait is devastating not only to a marriage, but to the family and even the friends who will eventually be touched by the consequences and especially to our Lord who stands strong enough to save us from becoming prey in the first place. So what do we do when a bait is cast before us? I could get all spiritual or all emotional here but I pray it's practical application through the grace of God from a sinful woman's testimony and understanding. (That would be me of course!)
1. Admit it and Own it! Immediately recognize it as your bait. One walk through a local bait and tackle store, and you will quickly learn there are hundreds of choices, each one for a specific fish. Do not attempt to minimize your shimmering bait, justify it or excuse it as someone else's. Your wife/husband/friend did not make you to take "it." (A topic for another blog-day right here!) Own it as the bait the evil one lined up for you and be honest about where it came from. Do not lie to yourself. Take your thoughts captive and hold them up to the Light of Truth. It won't be just a quick glance, one time, just noticing, have to, couldn't help noticing, curiosity, etc. Call it what it is.
2. Confess! Immediately walk away in the Name of Jesus. The risk is defilement not to just you and those you love, but to a Holy God who already made a way for you to turn away and walk in righteousness. If you keep following it, it will turn around and bit you in the backside and even if you are able to get away the first time or two, you won't go unharmed. God loves you too much to allow you to participate in death's games. He has come to give you Life! The world, yes even in church, is full of temptations (lust or otherwise-greed, pride, gossip, etc) but we must not join with it. If you cannot be the Light, run to a bigger Light!
Unless we walk around in a bubble, we will encounter it every day, in school, at work, in church. Sometimes, we cannot just turn off the TV or close the magazine or shut off the computer. We must look away, look down, change seats, change jobs, whatever it takes. These are things that must be done whether you are in church, at a friend's house, in meetings, at the beach, at the movies...anywhere we are enticed to focus on the bait.
If a woman with a low cut blouse, or a young girl with a short skirt in front of you is causing you to notice her more than the words on the screen or the Preacher/Instructor, or if the man has on a tight shirt and is flirting with you, or if a conversation stirs hatred, jealousy, lustful thoughts, etc. you have a choice...simply move away from them in conversation, or look away or move seats.
3. Repent! Guilt and Shame are much heavier burdens than the cost taking a stand and fleeing would be. Sometimes just maintaing eye contact is good enough, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes closing our eyes or looking down helps for a moment, but not always. For each of us, what we must do, is what we must do to honor the Lord and our spouse and ourselves. We must turn away from that which entices us, for the sake of Christ.
*While I am specifically referring to the issue of lust, these same principles apply to any other bait...a group of friends gossiping or talking badly about their spouse...foul mouth friends, drinking friends, noticing the "hottie" standing nearby friends, justifying friends, prideful bragging friends...and honestly, even if it isn't a friend engaging in sin, but you being there in that moment is causing you to want to engage in sin, then, you have a choice to justify remaining or turn and flee.
Example I tell my kids: A beautiful woman is not sinning just because she is gorgeous but you are sinning if you are lusting after her. If your friends are searching YouTube or pointing out hot girls walking by, you can change the subject and bring purity into the group or you can remove yourself from them in that moment. Same applies for us adults.
Example 2: listening to another couple's loving marriage story of the day while yours is anything but loving may stir feelings of jealousy and at the same time create new hatred towards your seemingly lacking spouse...you should change the conversation or leave. If we had purity of heart and strength in the first place, we would see the reflection of God through them as the glue and seek their wisdom in how you too can have the same unity and love in your own marriage. It all starts with the smallest beginnings in our heart.
Example 3: it is not a sin to drink however if you are a newly recovering alcoholic and your friend invites you to a gathering where you know there will be a wonderful selection of alcohols, be honest with them and then do not attend until you know God's power of resistance is stronger within you than your flesh about this matter.
I am sure that is enough examples. There are a lot of baits. Satan keeps busy and keeps up, but so does God!!! He is always fighting for us! Bottomline: Do what you can to bring Light into the moment and if you are not able to then flee from it!
4. Trust! Seek forgiveness first from God, then yourself knowing you are forgiven because of Christ Jesus. Satan hates when we turn away and reject his carefully crafted bait, so he will toss in a back up net to capture us. He throws out the net of lies and condemnation, telling you no one will ever know, this is good for you, this will help you, you'll be richer in life and love, God won't forgive you, you're unworthy, you will never be pure or forgiven...we must believe the Truth of God, not the crafty words of Satan. Satan is a liar! God is truth!
Next, forgive yourself and move forward with hope and purity, with endurance to finish this race till the end. If you don't forgive yourself, you will keep a part of your heart away from God, away from your spouse and away from your friends/accountability partners which only leads to deeper guilt, and the cycle of shame goes on and on as you quench the Holy Spirit....till you stop it! Sin hinders our relationships with God and others. Admit, confess, repent and turn quickly to a trustworthy Lord and Savior!
So, what if we already took the bait and find ourselves already caught in the net? Thankfully our God is a Fisher of Men with Absolute Authority over all things and can cut you loose from the net that entangles you. I am reminded of the scene from Finding Nemo when they are caught up in the net swimming crazily as it is lifted up onto the boat, but little Nemo comes along and commands authority and gives direction that focuses the school of fish and eventually frees them. God will send you a Nemo! But you must listen and follow His Way out and stop scrambling on your own.
The times in my life I have struggled the most, it was accountability that anchored me to The Truth. They kept me focused on and in God's Word. They prayed for me, over me, with me. When we push away (quench) the Holy Spirit, we loose the power given to us to fight our battles. However, what awesome power when we own it, build up our spiritual and heart muscles and use it to conquer our enemy!
There really is no excuse in today's society to not get help. Besides the Nemos God has placed in your life, there are lots of churches who offer free counseling or workshops or Bible studies geared to specific issues. God has placed Christian counselors in local communities, many who take insurance and many who don't. There are recovery centers, hospitals and the list goes on.
The first place you must go is Calvary. Bend your knee and stop fighting. Allow God's healing grace, mercy, forgiveness and mighty power to break off every chain that has held you captive. There absolutely is freedom in the Name of Jesus! I know lust (sin) is Every Man's Battle and Every Woman's Battle but my Bible says God is Every Man's Victory and God is Every Woman's Victory!!!
Do not be enticed by life's barracudas or shimmering bait. They will toss you a few tasty morsels to keep you close until it turns on you and devours you. Resist the bait and you will find Life. Take the bait and you will find death. Choose this day whom you will serve!!!!! And please, don't be a stupid fish!!!!!
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." Hebrews 12:1-4
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