He looked her dead in the eyes – deeply – almost passionately – as if he bore the burden of what she spoke. His hand touched her shoulder and slid softly down to her elbow – so innocent and yet so forbidden. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so connected to someone. He comforted her the way no man had before…he knew exactly what to say. She was mesmerized by his look, his touch, his words. She wished her husband was more like him. But her husband worked all the time. She often had to pick up the kids after work, prepare a meal, feed the kids, help with homework, bathing, put them to bed, and then do laundry before he ever came home. Life seemed to fall to her to do – she felt so alone – so responsible for everything. But this man, this man who seemed so united with her, he intrigued her. She found herself thinking about him more and more – even when he was not near her. She longed to run into him and even started to position herself where she was more likely to see him by chance. Her mind romanticized what it would be like if he were her husband. He told her she would never feel alone again if she was his wife –they would share all the responsibilities – and he would love her and cherish her everyday. There would be flowers and gifts and romance all the time. If only she was his wife.
Even though David knew how incredible God was, revealed in nature and within His Word, he suffered from the same thing we do – battling his flesh in light of our magnificent God. David recognized that he had made “errors” or “moral mistakes”, and he certainly did. He took someone else’s wife and had her husband murdered. But he realized far too late that the thoughts of his mind transitioned to arrogance that resulted in devastating actions. Although he repented when confronted with what he had done, there were consequences not only for him but for all involved.
The dialogue that begins this post starts with a thought that leads to “presumptuous” or “arrogant” mistakes – thinking that entertaining the fantasy will stay in the mind – and finally ends in those thoughts having “dominion” or “power” over the woman. Imagine all that could be hurt by her actions – children, friends, and relatives, not to mention her husband.
Read Psalms 19:1-14
It is helpful to remember that God is in this with us for the long haul. When we made a decision to believe that He is God and Jesus is His son sent to earth as a sacrifice for our mistakes, He knew us. Because nothing is hidden from Him, he knew the errors and sins we would make later on and still He wants us. In light of all that He did for David, David still battled his flesh – the stuff inside him. Sometimes it is hard to take a thought captive – to tell yourself not to go there and file it away in a cabinet with no key. It’s only when we continue to take those things out and look at them – toy with them – that we transition to arrogant sin. Think of arrogant sin as things we do thinking that we can handle them. If you are recovering from addictive behavior – like drugs or alcohol – you cannot immediately put yourself in a position to be tempted. Often gaining freedom from these two addictions can mean changing where you live, your phone number, your friends, and where you go. Allowing arrogant sin to have dominion over a person is when the alcoholic goes into the liquor store for a coke and is faced with more temptation than his flesh can bear.
Keeping the various paths to sin in mind, answer the following questions:
• What “error” or “moral mistake” is the Lord prompting you to consider changing?
• Is it a secret sin – a thought, an arrogant sin, or a sin that has dominion over you?
• What steps can you take to stop or change?
• If you have been struggling with this error for some time and have tried by yourself to change but have not been successful, is there someone trustworthy in your life that can assist by holding you accountable?
Lord, You testify to who You are through creation and through Your Word. How marvelous are all Your works! Your Word is a light to me, revealing Your truth, directing my choices, cleansing my heart, purifying my thoughts, sanctifying me through and through. It reveals my sin and shouts at me in love to redirect my paths. Let it alone have dominion over me. Lord, I repent for secret sins, arrogant sins and sins I have let rule over me. Thank You for Your full forgiveness! Help me to leave those sins behind me. Lead and direct my life from this point forward. Help me to look to you for help when error is but a secret in my mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen!