One of the works of the flesh that is listed in Galatians 5:19-21 is that of adultery. Adultery has been noted in the Word of God many times with people such as King David and the woman caught in adultery that was about to be stoned to death, only to be forgiven by Jesus as she sought refuge from Him as her accusers chased her.
However in 2015 I believe that adultery has gone way past the days of a man cheating on his wife or vice versa. Yes, these things unfortunately, still happen because the desires of the flesh, if we do not stand strong in spirit, can overtake anyone at anytime. Many may say: "Not me Pastor Barry! I would NEVER do that to my husband or wife." Well let me remind you what Peter said when he told Jesus he would NEVER deny Him. He denied Him three times!!! So as one dear Christian lady once told me in my early Christian life, "Never say what you aren't going to do because you may end up doing it and having to eat your words." No truer words were spoken to me that day back in 1989.
However so many people have been lured away from the purity of marriage by the other things instead of just "running out on their spouses with another person." As a Pastor I cannot begin to tell you how many marriages and relationships have been damaged or even destroyed because of the fact that their priorities were totally out of order. Today the husband is so busy working or doing what he wants to do that while he is so busy with those things there is a lonely wife sitting at home who is hungering for the attention of her husband. Not in a physical way mind you, but in an emotional way. Then there is the wife who also can get so occupied with many other things that the husband goes lacking for attention and this totally breaks the bonds of marriage and plays right into the hands of the devil who so desires to see marriage disrespected and damaged all because of the fact that it is an institution of God. (Genesis 2:24)
"But Pastor Barry I have to work for a living so that my family can have what they need." Country singer Loretta Lynn once sang a song about her childhood called "Coal Miner's Daughter" which was also the name of a motion picture about her life. In that song she said "We were poor but we had love, that's the one thing my daddy made sure of." With that, my thought is that Dad, your child will not remember 20 years from now, if Jesus tarries His return, what he had for dinner on a certain day, but he will remember whether or not you spent time with him, attended his ball games, watched your daughter play her first piano or dance recital. Therefore if we are so busy working or surfing the internet, spending time texting which all of us probably do way to much, we run the risk of causing our spouses and family to seek attention elsewhere because we were to busy having an affair with work, sports, computer and many other things, even just doing "what I want to do."
God, people, has given us a family if we are blessed to have one and it is a gift from God himself. To be so wrapped up in self will eventually bring one thing and that is loneliness and isolation all of our own doing.
In closing let me share with you an illustration I have used in Pastoral counseling many times. And that is Mom and Dad, that as you have that affair with your job, or just investing all your time in yourself instead of your family, the return off of your investment later will be nothing. Reason being is that when that child grows up, and you retire, you are going to want to know why your child has not come around you and perhaps sub consciously the reason they haven't is because of the lack of time investment you gave them growing up. Same thing happens with our marriages. That is that if it is all about us, and not having a heart of sacrifice for our spouse and family, we will lose them and become isolated from them all because of the decisions we made. So in our line of priorities, let us remember, God FIRST, Family SECOND and Me LAST! All this equals to a happy Christian family life and the way our Heavenly Father ordained it to be.
However in 2015 I believe that adultery has gone way past the days of a man cheating on his wife or vice versa. Yes, these things unfortunately, still happen because the desires of the flesh, if we do not stand strong in spirit, can overtake anyone at anytime. Many may say: "Not me Pastor Barry! I would NEVER do that to my husband or wife." Well let me remind you what Peter said when he told Jesus he would NEVER deny Him. He denied Him three times!!! So as one dear Christian lady once told me in my early Christian life, "Never say what you aren't going to do because you may end up doing it and having to eat your words." No truer words were spoken to me that day back in 1989.
However so many people have been lured away from the purity of marriage by the other things instead of just "running out on their spouses with another person." As a Pastor I cannot begin to tell you how many marriages and relationships have been damaged or even destroyed because of the fact that their priorities were totally out of order. Today the husband is so busy working or doing what he wants to do that while he is so busy with those things there is a lonely wife sitting at home who is hungering for the attention of her husband. Not in a physical way mind you, but in an emotional way. Then there is the wife who also can get so occupied with many other things that the husband goes lacking for attention and this totally breaks the bonds of marriage and plays right into the hands of the devil who so desires to see marriage disrespected and damaged all because of the fact that it is an institution of God. (Genesis 2:24)
"But Pastor Barry I have to work for a living so that my family can have what they need." Country singer Loretta Lynn once sang a song about her childhood called "Coal Miner's Daughter" which was also the name of a motion picture about her life. In that song she said "We were poor but we had love, that's the one thing my daddy made sure of." With that, my thought is that Dad, your child will not remember 20 years from now, if Jesus tarries His return, what he had for dinner on a certain day, but he will remember whether or not you spent time with him, attended his ball games, watched your daughter play her first piano or dance recital. Therefore if we are so busy working or surfing the internet, spending time texting which all of us probably do way to much, we run the risk of causing our spouses and family to seek attention elsewhere because we were to busy having an affair with work, sports, computer and many other things, even just doing "what I want to do."
God, people, has given us a family if we are blessed to have one and it is a gift from God himself. To be so wrapped up in self will eventually bring one thing and that is loneliness and isolation all of our own doing.
In closing let me share with you an illustration I have used in Pastoral counseling many times. And that is Mom and Dad, that as you have that affair with your job, or just investing all your time in yourself instead of your family, the return off of your investment later will be nothing. Reason being is that when that child grows up, and you retire, you are going to want to know why your child has not come around you and perhaps sub consciously the reason they haven't is because of the lack of time investment you gave them growing up. Same thing happens with our marriages. That is that if it is all about us, and not having a heart of sacrifice for our spouse and family, we will lose them and become isolated from them all because of the decisions we made. So in our line of priorities, let us remember, God FIRST, Family SECOND and Me LAST! All this equals to a happy Christian family life and the way our Heavenly Father ordained it to be.
Add comment