CABL Forum - Principle #7

Principle #7

Our Sinful Habits Do Hurt Those Who Follow Us.
Have you ever wondered if anybody cared? Have you ever thought about trying something drastic to get yourself noticed? “Maybe then they would know I needed their help!”, you would say.
One of the lies from the father of lies (the devil) is that no one is watching or caring, so no one is affected by our behavior. Since the dawn of time he has deceived us into believing that our behavior will only affect, hurt of damage ourselves. He did it in the beginning with Eve. Little did she know that her sin would then be shared by her husband, which in turn would lead to the fall of man and woman. Little did she know that a curse would be placed on herself and her husband and all generations to follow.
The devil deceived in the life of Lot. Not realizing that having day to day contact with sinners was damaging to his family, he stubbornly left his homeland. His lack of leadership over his family led to the death of his wife and uncontrolled behavior by his daughters and himself.
The devil deceived in the life of David. Little did David know that if he stayed home from battle (where he belonged at the time) that he would suffer a temptation that would lead to adultery. The consequence would be a woman would lose her husband to a plot of murder and her son would die as a newborn infant. Over and over again in scripture we see that sinful behavior has a profound effect on those who follow us.
Who, pray tell, are the ones who follow you? That is simple: Those whose lives are spent in relationship with yours. If you were to die today, would you have 100 people at your funeral? Most people would like to think so. How about 50? Or 35? Or 20? How about one? Would you have at least one person at your funeral? Yes, I believe we would all have at least one and probably closer to 100. Well, whether they actually say it to you or not, those are the people you hurt with your behavior. Those are the people affected by your sinful habit. They may not feel the pain you feel, but they feel pain. They may not say the things to you that you need said that would help you, but they think them and wish they could find the courage to say them.
Romans 14:7 says…For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Our life affects others the same way your death would affect others. Choose today to let your life have a profound effect of good on others. No matter the cost. No matter the sacrifice. Make the choice. Today and tomorrow and onward from his point, your good habits will help those who follow you. Choose today to be a regular learner at Church. Choose to read your Bible. Choose to talk to God in prayer. Choose to arm yourself with memorized Bible verses that will help you overcome. Choose today to be helpful to those who come to Reformers. Choose today to make a difference in the lives of your congregation, the lives of your community, a difference in the Kingdom of God. Amen.

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Principle #7