Hello Everyone,
We started last week looking at ways to “Fireproof our Marriage”.
One way to “Fireproof Your Marriage” is to MANAGE YOUR MIND.
People don't just fall into immorality. There is really no such thing as a one-night stand. It seems that way, but you are not a moral, upright person today and by tomorrow you fall into immorality.
It doesn't happen that way. There's a process, a whole series of events:
Step one. Accepting sinful thoughts in my mind.
The battle for any temptation in your life begins in your mind.
What you think about, you'll eventually feel and what you feel you'll eventually act on.
James 1:14-15 “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death”.
The problem is, most Christians will not get serious about their minds. You become what you think about. If you think about positive, good, happy, loving, kind things, that's the way you will act. if you think lustful, dirty, trashy, obscene thoughts, that's the kind of person you will become.
It's impossible not to be affected by what you let into your mind.
I read this week that most of us have garbage disposals in our kitchens and garbage dispensers in our living rooms -- the TV.
The TV is one of the biggest dispensers of garbage that we allow into our homes. It's really naive of us to do that.
2 Tim. 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Rom. 16:19 … I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
It's sad but most of us are the exact opposite. We are so wise about what is evil and innocent, ignorant about what is good.
That's not God's way and it will lead you in the process of SIN if you don't control your own thoughts.
You need to get serious about your mind. You have to decide that you are going to limit the movies you go to. Other people may seem to be able to go to them. You cannot. There are some TV shows you can't watch. Some books you can't read. Some CDs you shouldn't listen to. Some concerts you shouldn't go to. Places you shouldn't go to because they feed into temptation in your mind.
If you are smart, you will stop the battle ground right there. If you don't, it can lead to the next step.
If you are married, turn that sexual energy into your marriage. If love is the motivating force behind those desires the sky's the limit and with God's blessing.
If you're single you need to turn your sex drive to creative dynamic ways to serve God and other people.
Step two: Emotional non-physical involvement.
To assume that all is well between a man and a woman because there is no physical contact is a mistake. You're fooling yourself. By an motional involvement I mean that you look to another person other than your spouse for the deep emotional needs understanding, support, sympathy.
If you are looking to someone other than your spouse for those needs
to be met you are in an emotional affair that can lead you even further into sin.
Unbelievers don't spend a lot of time here. Unbelievers move right to the physical relationship. Christians camp here. They will not deal with the reality of what is going on in their lives.
I'm asking you to take it seriously and understand it for what it is. It's sinful and it can destroy you. It can lead to the next step.
Step three: Physical involvement.
Once you've crossed that line to where there is physical contact the pull of the sin is over whelming. To try to break out of a relationship that has crossed those physical lines, will take everything you have with the grace of God to break through.
Don't cross the line. They are there for your protection.
Step four: Rationalizing the affair.
We are great in deceiving ourselves. We are experts at pulling the wool over our own eyes. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
You are a pro at deceiving yourself.
Be careful what you are thinking.
All For Jesus
Phil
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1 comment:
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT ALTHOUGH YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ME IN CHURCH ALOT RECENTLY DOES NOT MEAN I AM NOT STILL FOLLOWING. I AM AND ALWAYS WILL. I MAY STUMBLE BUT I WIL NEVER LET MYSELF FALL AGAIN BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOUGHT ME BETTER. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE LEARNED MORE IN THE 40YEARS PREVIOUS, BUT IT TOOK ONE THICK SKULLED AND ENDURING(NOT CONDEMNING AS OTHERS) PERSON TO GET THROUGH TO THE FEMALE VERSION OF HIMSELF. THIS BEING PASTOR APPRETIATION MONTH,AND BECAUSE I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR YOUR ALL YOU GIVE EVERYDAY, I PERSONALLY WANT TO SAY I LOVE YOU AND I AM STILL WATCHING AND WAITING TO HIT THAT HIGH YOU'RE ON (LOL). MOST OF ALL KNOW THAT I AM STILL FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY MAN I'VE MET SO FAR THAT I TRULY BELIEVE AND TRUST IN AND THAT IS WHY I CHOOSE TO STICK IN HERE UNTIL THE END WITH GOD AS MY GUIDE AND JESUS AS MY EVERLASTING REDEEMER (SO NEVER BELIEVE WHAT PEOPLE SAY IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE, THEY BELIEVE AS THEY SEE AND AS THEY HEAR AND DON'T ALAYS RELY ON GOD FOR WISDOM) IGUESS WE ALL ARE GUILTY OF THAT, BUT LETTING YOU KNOW PERSONALLY I AM NOT JUST OKAY TODAY BUT I AM TERRIFIC AND I COULD NEVER HAD SAID THAT 3 YEARS AGO. SO CONTINUE YOUR WORK ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM TIRESOME AND LIKE SOMETIMES IT JUST ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE. I CAN TELL YO FROM THE HEART THAT IF YOU COULD TOUCH AS LOST A SOUL AS I AND COMPLETELY CHANGE MY OUTLOOK ON LIFE THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE TOUCHED COUNTLESS OTHERS AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED BY THE ALMIGHTY WISH I COULD DO MORE BUT I HOPE THESE WORDS AT LEAST REWARD IN SOME SMALL WAY AND PLEASE NEVER FORGET YOU ARE THE MOST INSPIRING AND ULTIMATELY AWESOME PASTOR, FRIEND, AND FAMILY I'VE EVER HAD AND KNOW EVERYONE ELSE ALSO SEES YOUR GLOW AND FOLLOW AND WANT WHAT YOU HAVE SO JUST KEEP LIVING LIKE YOU DO AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL WANT BOARD YOUR TRAIN.
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