Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A Step Further

It's amazing to me how we can rationalize our own sin sometimes, and yet when someone else does the exact same thing, it's wrong. We have little bouble standards that we develop, thinking that what is acceptable for us isn't acceptable for someone else.

When you are struggling with whether you should do something or not, remember to pray about it and ask God. It's hard to rationalize sin in the presence of God. Let Christ's light through the Word of Scripture shine on your question or request. Light exposes. Will God bless me on this? Is this something that makes me any more vulnerable to temptation?

For example, your would never pray, "Lord, bless us tonight as we go out and party and get drunk. We pray that no one will get a DUI and that I won't say or do something that I will regret in the morning." Or, "Lord, please bless my divorce from my husband- my faithful, decent Christian husband who has loved me through everything. Just bless me as I divorce him because I met someone that I have stronger feelings for and want to marry instead."

We would never verbalize such prayers, yet some Christians will do these things because they rationalize them in their mind. When you pray about some things you are about to do, bringing them into the clear light of the presence of Jesus Christ is wise. It might just help you more than you know.

Something else to think about is how you would feel if you saw a brother or sister in the Lord doing the same thing. Would that sound or seem wrong to you? The Bible tells us to avoid the very appearance of evil. So it is not only a matter of doing the wrong thing, it is even doing something that would look like you are doing the wrong thing. Avoid even that, God says. Be smart about the choices you make. And as much as possible, stay away from the source of temptation.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 "Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."

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