Stay True

"You shall not commit adultery."

Exodus 20:14

The man willfully and willingly married a prostitute, knowing full well the promiscuous nature of her lifestyle.  She bore him three children, never knowing for sure if he were the biological father.  Still, he loved his wife and family, treasuring them as his most prized possession.

Hosea was a prophet through whom the Lord graphically illustrated the infidelity of His people and His great love for us. (Hosea) When he cherished his wife, it was a beautiful picture of how God loves us despite our unfaithfulness to Him.  There also is a sober warning, however, and that caution is as follows:  "Your deeds won't let you come to God again, for the spirit of adultery is deep within you, and you cannot know the Lord."  (Hosea 5:4)

The adultery of which God forbids my participation in is so much more than an act of sexual passion outside of marriage.  The adultery I also must guard against is the way I fail to stay true to God and His ways.  Therefore, I must be careful not to stray.

   

Purity of Mind

The List- everything I must accomplish today.

My master plan- what I need to do to reach my goals.

Relationship Assessment-a continuous evaluation of all the relationships in my life and the part                                                I play in their health.

Financial Report- a running estimate of expected income, bills due and expenses looming.

If my mind were a computer, these are the programs I'd be constantly running in the background of my consciousness.  While there may be nothing wrong with keeping tabs on my responsibilities, there is a problem when there's no room left for thoughts of God.  If I were to track the percentage of brain power I utilize for meditating on God and His Word, pondering thoughts of Him, or thanking and praising Him throughout my day, I wonder how much it would be?  25% . . .10% . . . 2% . . .

There is so much to corrupt my way of thinking, distorting the Truth as I've been taught.  Even more than that, though, there is so much petty, meaningless and godless stuff with which I fill my brain.  Since I have a Father who knows what I need, I am wasting my precious brain power on pondering things that have to do with the necessities for living.  Instead, I can fill my mind with kingdom thoughts, focusing on the true, good, right, pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy things.  (Matthew 6:31-34,Philippians 4:8)

When I am tempted, then, to analyze my present situation, looking for a solution or inspecting all the possible outcomes, I can instead channel my thoughts toward what I've learned about the character of God.  He cares for me, loves me unconditionally, provides for everything I need on a daily basis, and holds the masterplan for my life in His mind.  Suddenly, I will find myself resting in His capable hands.

Other times I may dwell on upcoming activities, vacations or trips, daydreaming about the things I will do.  Instead of wasting brain power on such temporal things, I can form a mental picture of my heavenly destination, putting together all the qualities of my eternal home that can be found in scripture.  This is the kind of hope I need to keep before me when the days ahead get rough.

As soon as my mind begins pondering the hopelessness of my horrible health and all the pain I must endure, I can instead look for ways God is renewing my inner strength each and every day.  (2 Corinthians 4:16)  Thoughts about the spiritual body I will receive in eternity can guard my mind with peace. (1 Corinthians 5:42-44)

Staying true to God and His ways means I must practice purity of my mind.

Purity of Heart

My heart cannot be trusted.  Even though the world constantly tells me to "follow my heart," the Lord warns me of such folly.  Only He knows the wickedness found within myself.  (Jeremiah 17:9-10)  God also reminds me that my heart is the center of my being; the wellspring of my life.  Therefore it is important that I guard it from things that will influence me to stray away from the good the Lord has prepared for me. (Proverbs 4:23)  It seems the enemy is within and without!

Simply put, I can't trust my sinful nature but neither can I rely on the wisdom of this world.  Instead, I would be wise to stay true to God, placing all my hope in His ways.  In order to keep my heart pure, then, I need to be aware of the corruption that comes from my own selfish desires, and the filth that flows from the world.

My first line of attack is to realize this reality.  If I go through life oblivious to either the untrustworthiness of my heart that entices me with selfish pursuits, or the danger found in the world that tells me to go after pleasures, possessions and power, then my ignorance makes me vulnerable.

My next step is to come up with a strategy to resist the temptation of my sinful nature and guard my heart from ungodly corruption.  Staying rooted in the Word of God and trusting in the Lord as my sole source of hope and confidence will bolster my faith in just the way that will accomplish this objective.  (Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 119:11)

Once my roots are deep and I'm drawing from the Living Water, the temptations that come from within will lose their power, and the lure of the world around me will become strangely dim.  Still, I can never let my guard down.  Instead, I will always need to be aware of the treacherous nature of my heart while guarding it against outside influences.  Right when I think I'm safe, that is when I will need to raise my defenses.

Staying true to God and His ways means I must practice purity of heart.

Purity of Body

Fitness is big business today.  Many health professionals have recognized the importance of preventative health care, of which exercise is an important part.  What really seems to be driving the industry, however, is the popularity of muscled and well-toned bodies.  Everybody wants a hard body.

While it is important to take good care of my body, it doesn't take much for me to enter into the realm of idol worship.  When my fitness regime itself becomes my focus, instead of it being a desire to simply take care of what God has given to me, then I have a problem.  My body ceases being a temple of God and has slowly morphed into a god itself.

But this is not the only way my body can be used to draw my fidelity away from God.  The Apostle Paul said I can either use my body to please myself, or I can use it to honor God.  When I offer my body as a living sacrifice, I am worshiping Him in a powerful and tangible way.  (Romans 12:1)  This means thinking of my body as belonging to God and letting Him use it in the way that He best sees fit.  

So, if I want to wear clothing that shows off my hard work in the gym, I had better check my motivation and ask myself if this would honor God.  If my pursuit of health becomes more important than my pursuit of Jesus, I must ask myself if my priorities are God-honoring.  If the pain within my body monopolizes my thoughts and focus, I must look for the grace of God that becomes my strength in the midst of weakness.

Staying true to God and His ways means I must practice purity of body.

I may not struggle with sexual infidelity, but adultery is so much more than that.  God wants me to pursue purity of mind, heart and body.  In these ways I will stay true to Him.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep focused on God and His ways.

How do I dishonor God in the way I use my body?

When do I let my heart lead me instead of seeking God's guidance?