Playing with fire
Jacob Ninan
Playing with fireCan a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? - Prov.6:26 Sexual desire is like a fire that spreads on as soon as it is lit. For men, something we see or a thought that pops up in our mind can be enough to ignite it. If a woman is emotionally moved towards a man, things can go fast from one step to another. The way our brain works, once it perceives a sexual stirring it starts a chain of events in preparation for the act. Then our reason and will begin to have less and less control on our actions. That explains why many people end up doing things they never planned for at first!
But sex is a great gift from God which, apart from procreation, helps us to express our love and oneness with our spouse in a most intimate and pleasurable way. This pleasure is not just physical but also in our mind, and that is why we can enjoy it best with our loving spouse. When one attempts it outside of marriage, it will be fraught with the fear of getting caught or consequences like broken relationships, loss of reputation, acquiring diseases, etc. That is why God Himself has confined sexual relationship to within marriage.
It is possible to forget all about consequences when we are moved by an infatuation or experience the pressure of temptation. That is why we can’t deal with it ‘when we come to it’, because if we go a little too far it may become impossible to stop. That happened to David when he allowed his gaze to rest on Bathsheba instead of quickly turning away. One thing led to another, and we see the damage it did to David, the families and even the nation. We can’t play with this fire without getting burned.
But we also have the challenging example of Joseph who kept his integrity in spite of strong provocation and seemingly favourable situations.
Lord, You know how difficult it is for me to face temptation in the area of sex. Help me, and teach me how to deal with it.
Published in Management Devotional - Biblical insights for daily work life, Christian Institute of Management.