Watch It!

From my morning reading.

“My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, nor let her capture you with her eyelids. For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, and an adulteress hunts for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her will not go unpunished. Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry; but when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; he must give all the substance of his house. The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; he who would destroy himself does it. Wounds and disgrace he will find, and his reproach will not be blotted out.”
Proverbs 6:20-33

No woman in the world is worth committing the sin of adultery. Sadly, this truth is often forgotten or ignored when a man is overcome by lust. As the body screams for sexual gratification, he can hardly contain himself. But what looks so good and seems so pleasurable in the heat of passion can leave one feeling empty and broken-hearted.

Sexual immorality can ruin not only us as men but also our marriages. But we can save ourselves a lot of grief by pausing to think before we act. Here are some key questions you should ask before doing something that might make you feel terrific but that you know is downright sinful:

• How will I feel in the morning after doing this?
• Is this God's best for me?
• If I had to announce on Sunday morning what I had done, would I feel good about this action?
• When I stand before God, will I be filled with sorrow for having done this?

Father, please help me to run from sexual sin rather than embrace it. Amen.

From God's Man
A Daily Devotional Guide to Christlike Character
Edited by: Don M. Aycock