Running Yellow Lights
When it comes to yellow lights, there are two kinds of people in this world: those who slow down and those who speed up. I used to be one kind, and then I had kids. Now I am one of the most cautious drivers on the road. I don't think I'm a hesitant driver, but if it's close I'm going to err on the side of caution. My cargo is too precious. The stakes are too high.
David sends someone to find out about this woman he sees bathing on the rooftop. The guy comes back and says, "That's Bathsheba. She's Eliam's daughter and Uriah's wife."
Translation: Slow down, David. This is someone's wife and someone's daughter. You know these guys.
Let me say a word to the men who read this blog: When you find yourself tempted by the form of a woman, stop and remind yourself that you're looking at someone's daughter. At some point in time, someone held that tiny baby girl and kissed the top of her head and dreamed dreams of what she would be like when she got older. And they never imagined that she would become an object for you to use to gratify your lust. If you have kids, think forward to a time when someone will want to use your child in that way. What feelings does that inspire in you?
If that's not a sexual buzzkill -- see a counselor.
Usually, when you're about to take the plunge and do something you know is wrong, there will be a little inner voice, a message from your conscience or the words of a friend ringing in your ears. That's a yellow light. Be careful here. Proceed with caution.
David comes to this yellow light, and if he was really in a good place with God he probably would have slowed down, thought this through and come to a full and complete stop. But thinking is the last thing David wants to do. He wants to feel something. So, he pushes the accelerator to the floorboard and speeds through the intersection without thinking of what this could do to someone's wife and daughter -- not to mention his own heart and his own family.
Maybe you've moved past drifting. You haven't crossed any lines yet, but you've got a plan forming in your mind. And God brought you to this blog to ask you this question: "Will you stop and think about the possible consequences of crossing this line?"
Maybe it's sex. Maybe it's a relationship you know isn't right. Maybe it's a financial choice. Maybe it's a vocational decision. Maybe it's an honesty deal. You've got a plan forming in your brain. Will you just stop and think about the potential downside to this? What kind of legacy will this leave for your kids? What will this decision do to your relationships to those closest to you? What could happen to your heart if you go through with this?
David sends someone to find out about this woman he sees bathing on the rooftop. The guy comes back and says, "That's Bathsheba. She's Eliam's daughter and Uriah's wife."
Translation: Slow down, David. This is someone's wife and someone's daughter. You know these guys.
Let me say a word to the men who read this blog: When you find yourself tempted by the form of a woman, stop and remind yourself that you're looking at someone's daughter. At some point in time, someone held that tiny baby girl and kissed the top of her head and dreamed dreams of what she would be like when she got older. And they never imagined that she would become an object for you to use to gratify your lust. If you have kids, think forward to a time when someone will want to use your child in that way. What feelings does that inspire in you?
If that's not a sexual buzzkill -- see a counselor.
Usually, when you're about to take the plunge and do something you know is wrong, there will be a little inner voice, a message from your conscience or the words of a friend ringing in your ears. That's a yellow light. Be careful here. Proceed with caution.
David comes to this yellow light, and if he was really in a good place with God he probably would have slowed down, thought this through and come to a full and complete stop. But thinking is the last thing David wants to do. He wants to feel something. So, he pushes the accelerator to the floorboard and speeds through the intersection without thinking of what this could do to someone's wife and daughter -- not to mention his own heart and his own family.
Maybe you've moved past drifting. You haven't crossed any lines yet, but you've got a plan forming in your mind. And God brought you to this blog to ask you this question: "Will you stop and think about the possible consequences of crossing this line?"
Maybe it's sex. Maybe it's a relationship you know isn't right. Maybe it's a financial choice. Maybe it's a vocational decision. Maybe it's an honesty deal. You've got a plan forming in your brain. Will you just stop and think about the potential downside to this? What kind of legacy will this leave for your kids? What will this decision do to your relationships to those closest to you? What could happen to your heart if you go through with this?
posted by john alan turner at 10:54 AM
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