FatherSpiritSon.com
God is the Ultimate Audience!
As I sat down in front of my computer, simply thinking about what I would write, I stumbled across this idea in my mind. Arguably one of the best and most encouraging methods of staying obedient to the word of God and His plans is simply considering the fact that He is always watching us. This goes beyond questioning the WWJD, what would Jesus do, in reference to a particular situation. As much as that idea is great, I would take it a step further and dive into the thought of God being with us all of the time. Remember, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, after all the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit! (See V*1). To me this verse means we need to treat our bodies with absolute respect, in light of God's word. We need to make sure that as much as possible of what we do, what we eat, and even what we think should work along these lines. There are a variety of things that the word of God suggests we do in moderation, and others that are outright condemned in any degree. (See V*2). This set of verses suggests that even though we may be capable of doing certain things, unless they bring glory to God and build up others they might not be wise to do. For example, if you want to drink wine, try to do so in moderation so that it doesn't harmfully effect your brain or liver. Another example could be eating dessert, you probably shouldn't make it a habit of eating too much and stumbling into becoming glutinous. Eating dessert can certainly be done in moderation. It is altogether another story when it comes to something like pornography. I think most of us can agree, in light of God's word, that this addictive behavior is detrimental to our walk with Christ. (See V*3 and V*4).
You cannot lust in moderation, as doing so would still be sinful. Trust me I know this one from experience, and I have stumbled one too many times with pornography. I wanted to bring this sin to light, in consideration of my last article, and share with you what a struggle it has been for me to fight battles against it. Time and time again it has taken the best of me, and finally I came to the realization that the short-term pleasure attained from it is not worth the potentially devastating eternal consequences to the behavior. This is not to mention how it effects the way you look at women, which should be looked at as sister's in Christ not objects of lust. In any case, pornography in moderation is the same as committing murder, stealing, adultery or coveting in the sense that they cannot be done in moderation. These things just cannot be done to any degree, if you want to remain faithful and obedient to God's word.
I think resisting all these sins becomes much easier when we realize that God knows what we say and do, all the time, and beyond that He knows the motives of our hearts for what we have done. On that note, it is practically essential to understand, that despite God's word requiring justice be served he is very merciful with us. I treat each additional day of life God grants me as if it was an extra day of mercy, an extra day to get my act together, an extra day to reach out to others and share God's word and love. God absolutely understands that we are all works in progress and no matter how much we have enhanced our lives for the better, there is always room for improvement.
As far as our thought life is concerned, I think that our thought processes have a profound impact on our health, happiness, and of course our actions. If you are constantly thinking negatively about yourself, pessimistic about others, and generally getting set off by any little obstacle – you are doing yourself a huge disservice. This doesn't mean we need to be happy all the time, just because we are Christians. That is unrealistic. There is certainly a time to be in mourning and weeping, but that is for a certain period not your whole life. (See V*5). As you can see there is a time for a variety of things here on Earth, as described in this set of verses.
We should remember that for the vast majority of our time, it would be beneficial for us to have a positive self-image, to convey our thoughts, motives, and words to others with tactful respect, and have absolute confidence that God will provide and faith that our futures are intact. If you follow these basic guidelines, and make a transition in any area we need to work on, we will observe an amazing transformation in our lives as individuals. This transformation will have an impact on everyone close to you, and everyone that encounters you from this point forward. Why procrastinate on living in this manner when there are so many amazing benefits? You don't have to necessarily save someones life or lead them to Christ to make a difference. Sometimes an act of kindness or gratitude as simple as a smile, or opening the door for someone, or perhaps giving a person a chance to turn in traffic is all it takes to brighten up someone's day. All these simple acts plant a small seed, that may eventually grow and deed by deed, act by act, make our world a better place!
I have tried my best to be sincere, and I hope you all will pray for me to stay healed from my prior problem with pornography. I feel as though God has delivered me, and I just need to make a conscious effort to avoid it each day. It is definitely easier said than done, but I trust in God's timing I will be set absolutely free. I will also keep each of you, the readers, in my prayers. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to visit our site. God bless you all!
-Victor Nunez
Biblical References:
V*1- “Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (HCSB)
V*2- “Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up. 24 No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (HCSB)
V*3- “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. 28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28 (HCSB)
V*4- “Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit God's kingdom? Do not be deceived: no sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers will inherit God's kingdom. 11 Some of you were like this; but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (HCSB)
V*5- “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; 3 a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; 6 a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; 8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (HCSB)