It is often the expected Return On Investment that drives people to greatness. Whether you were Christopher Columbus, Husain Bolt, Michelangelo, or Lebron James they were all driven by their passion to accomplish great things in life.
I believe that part of what has caused this pandemic of addiction to porn and sex is people are bored. Going around in circles doing the same thing at work and the same thing at home just to maintain the same boring existence. What better way to escape, become fully focused, get a booster shot of adrenalin and testosterone? You can escape for hours in a journey of pleasure finding exactly the things you are into … all for free.
Who needs a cruise ship when I can
cruise the world wide web?
So, tell me after you have invested hours, days, weeks, months, years, and even decades in watching porn and sexually satisfying yourself what it the return on that investment? If it has been exposed you have watched your stock market crash, your ROI having no return at all, and a giant vacuum has sucked the life out of you, your marriage, and even your family.
Is there anything God offers us which might have the slightest bit of return so that we should consider pursuing it or Him???
The answer is yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!!
We have discovered what we find after allowing sin to be our master and sure enough, it leads to death. However, Christ leads to life. This is clearly stated by Paul in Romans 6:15;
“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Literally, when you are being tempted it is a life or death situation. Not like someone dangling over the cliff with one hand slowly loosening its grip on some providentially supplied branch kind of life or death situation. It is, however, death by a thousand cuts. Each one causing a little more pain, a little more blood, a little more shame, and a little more guilt. Until one day the razor slices an artery and you bleed to death.
Is this what Christ had in mind when He saved you? Absolutely not. He has saved us so that He, by the Holy Spirit, can transform us into being more godly men and more Christ-like. So that His power might take our uniqueness of heart, mind, and soul to glorify Himself and help others.
He gives us life so that we can introduce others to Him so that they might receive life as well. Death is rampant both inside and outside our churches. Isolated people living lives of quiet desperation wondering where is this promised abundant life? I seem to not be able to find it. I have not achieved it and rarely do I come across anybody else who seems to be exuding this abundant life. And sad to say maybe not even your pastor.
It is as if when I was born again, I received a box of chocolates with the anticipation that they would fill my life with sweetness and joy. But the box is now empty with void baron chocolate wrappers scattered about. That initial excitement did not last. It was good for a while, but now it is empty and now I am also empty.
So, God … where is the return on my investment? How is it that I am on empty and running on fumes? Am I just supposed to hang out in this place until I die? Or, is there something more. Is there something that I am missing? What is it and if I find it will it fill this void that I keep dumping porn into, but it never fills? I am never filled. I am empty, bored, isolated, and in a very dangerous place.
As this week unfolds, I am going to answer those questions. There is an abundant life as Jesus promised in John 10:10;
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.”
If this is true, and I believe it completely is true since Jesus said it Himself, where does it come from and how do we get it? I will begin to answer that tomorrow.
Until then make sure you are having time with the Lord today. Offer your body and the instruments of your body to Him as a living sacrifice which is holy and acceptable. As the Spirit to fill and empower you to bear His fruit and to manifest His gifts. Lastly, put on the full armor of God and stand strong in the strength of His might against any and all demonic forces that are aligned against you.