Glimpse, Glance, Gaze

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%2011-12;%201%20Chronicles%2020&version=NIV

It all started innocently enough - a woman bathing, a man seeking relief from the heat on the roof of his home. From the start, they didn’t set out to put themselves in a place of temptation. Even so, David seemed to forget one thing – that when faced with sexual temptation, you best flee. But instead….

He caught a glimpse of a woman bathing – and had ample opportunity to flee, turn away, leave the roof. But instead the glimpse turned into a glace. I can almost read his thoughts – “Hmm – naked woman bathing – think I’ll take a little look-see. Can’t see how it could hurt.” And so a glimpse turned into a glance, and when he glanced he realized that the woman was beautiful – and so he continued to watch…can’t see how it could hurt to watch. And so a glance turned into a gaze, a gaze turned into an inquiry, an inquiry turned into an invitation, and the invitation was not turned down. Suddenly he slid a whole lot farther that I’m thinking he intended to go. Seems like once he entertained the temptation, the sin took on a life of its own.

It didn’t stop there, though. The invitation turned into a little tryst, then into a pregnancy, then into lies, then into a murder. And it all started with a glimpse that turned into a glance that turned into a gaze. The slide down happened very quickly – and at the bottom was a pit of consequences that would affect David’s entire family and future. Sons would die because of his sin. His own wives would sleep with his sons. His private and his public life would be hugely impacted by a glimpse that turned into a glance that turned into a gaze.

What is the lesson for us – it’s quite clear. Flee. That’s it – it is your best and only option to avoid falling into a pit of sin. Don’t justify even the second glance. I good policy to test whether you are on slippery ground is this – if you have to justify it to yourself – flee! If you would have trouble explaining your actions to those who hold you accountable – flee! God will always give you a way out of the temptation – take it! We so easily justify, so easily push boundaries, so easily ignore the wisdom of accountability and safe guards. Perhaps it’s too much trouble for us. Perhaps we think it is too much trouble for others. Perhaps we think that a little ‘fooling around’ isn’t harmful as long as there are boundaries. Perhaps we need to be reminded what God’s word says. Plain and simple – it says flee.

I’ll leave you with a couple of verses and pray that each and every one of us will head God’s warning, wisdom and command. If we don’t, then an innocent glimpse that turns into a glance that turns into a gaze will take us farther than we ever intended to go.

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20.

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Something to share with us: Do you have a good system of safe-guards and/or accoutability? Share what you do to protect yourself against temptation.

Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels