The Downward Spiral of a Man’s Heart
I’m sick of Satan’s dirty little tricks. Criticize me all you want for the legalistic sound of this post but I’m not taking a chance in this area of my life and I want to use this post to encourage men to do likewise. If I’ve learned anything about being a man it’s that I am weak in this area. I’m tired of sitting with couples whose marriage is rocked because of an affair. Lately this has included those in ministry and it’s impacting their ability to do Kingdom work. If a man says he can handle this area of temptation without proper discipline in his life he’s most likely lying or impotent.
In nearly every situation I encounter (all but one or two that I can remember), the affair didn’t start in an instant; it started over a series of time and moments of indiscretion by the man (or woman). I can’t intelligently speak to this issue from a woman’s perspective, but here is the progression of the sin of adultery in a man’s life:
Glance
Look
Gaze
Thought
Lust
Pornography
Flirting
Affair
Rarely does an affair start at the glance stage. It’s true a man may not go through each of the stages. Some skip the pornography stage, for example, although well over half the time this is the case. The key here is that it is a progression. It seems to me, therefore, that where we need to get a handle on the problem is early in the progression. Satan is the master at entering adequate temptation into this progression. He seems to know the right images and situations to tempt the man.
Every time I post about this issue females accuse me of being a pervert. Just read some of the comments in THIS POST. Guys, help me out here. Be honest with who you are and the temptations you face on a daily basis. You know you have a problem if not controlled. Even the Old Testament character Job realized he needed some discipline in his life in this area. (Job 31:1) No temptation has seized you except what’s common to man. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Men (and women), we must get a handle on what we look at and what we do with our thought life. I’m not saying every time a man has a lustful thought it is going to end up in an affair, but the progression is the scary part. Some of you reading this are already past the danger point in your progression. My advice is to get help now. Your family, ministry and reputation are too important not to protect it.
For more on this thought process, read my post Addressing a Porn Generation and 7 Ways I Protect My Heart and Ministry from an Affair.
Now, for those brave enough, be honest with me…Do you struggle in these areas? What are you doing to protect yourself?
