Not only will I not be walking around naked today, the idea of doing such a thing never occurs to me. Never ever.
Come to think of it, I've never seen anybody walking down the sidewalk naked ... though it wouldn't surprise me to find out that there are weirdos out there who do face that temptation on a daily basis. So how are the folks who're tempted to stroll around naked in public able to resist the urge?
Might have something to do with sunburn risk, but I'm guessing the real reason has more to do with the consequences of such inappropriate behavior: if you plan on spending the morning walking around the neighborhood naked, better plan on spending some long days and nights in jail, too.
In this case, the consequences of indecent exposure are immediate and unavoidable.
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Seems like there's been so many sex and adultery scandals depicted in the media lately that it's difficult to keep track of all the names. Promising careers are ruined, spouses are betrayed, vows broken, ministries torn apart and families destroyed.
It's gotta make you ask: What were they thinking?
The short answer might be They were thinking about themselves but then we could ask several more critical questions, like Did they ever stop to consider the outcome before-hand? Did they stop to consider how much pain their actions would cause others? And Did they really think they could get away with it, or that no one would ever know?
Unless the person involved is a sociopath it's probably reasonable to assume the answers were Yes, Yes and No. So then why wasn't that enough to stop them from throwing their marriages and careers away?
Could be that the consequences, however real, seemed too far removed and distant from the perceived reward of the temptation. It could also be that once the first temptation took root and blossomed, its reach shaded-out both accountability and any fear of consequences.
That's the D-A-N-G-E-R right there.
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Satan will snipe away all day at stragglers and lob mortars at organized ranks, but the prospect of catching a General offguard in an ambush must make his filthy mouth water. None of us, no one, is immune to temptation nor should any one of us be so proud or self-righteous to suppose, "That'll never happen to me."
Because it might, especially if you're doing God's work and making a difference for the kingdom.
I'm not pointing fingers at, nor am I condemning or ridiculing any of the men involved. I don't find their affairs or any of the lurid details entertaining or interesting.
But we would be foolish if we dismissed or ignored the opportunity to learn from their mistakes ... and the lessons screaming from recent events are that Every Big Sin Starts With A Tiny Temptation and that Every Sin Has A Consequence, Every Time.
Please pray for these men, that God will hear and sustain their families through their tribulations, that in their repentance these broken men will seek and beg God's forgiveness, and that in his mercy God will heal, restore and use them to his glory.
And please also say a prayer for the men, the church leaders, the pastors and all the husbands and God-fearing single men who'll find themselves facing the same exact temptation tomorrow, or the next week or the next month ... or even in the next 5 seconds.
