“Don't Pack Any Potential For Sin”

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

This is the bag I carry most days. It isn't much, but it’s usually by my side. Especially when I travel, it’s always by my side. So it makes for a good representation of what I carry with me as I go into my daily walk with other Christians, with my family, with the world, and with God.

In the bag, I am going to carry my Bible—the word of God. It represents God’s guidance and his presence with me every day. As I begin each new day of life, it’s one of the main things I want with me.

Secondly, I am going to carry my favorite reminder about prayer. It’s a book titled Too Busy Not To Pray, and just the title reminds me of my constant need to talk to God. As I begin each new day of life, it’s one of the main things I want with me.

Thirdly, I’ve got a picture of my wife and a picture of my son. They are exceedingly precious reminders to me that I belong to my family and they belong to me and we are all devoted to each other. As I begin a day of life, I remember that they are always with me.

Finally, I want to put a rock into the back—a reminder of Jesus’ words that “he who hears these words of mind and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock” (Matt. 7:24). The rock represents my faith—the solid foundation of any life truly anchored to Jesus Christ.

But then…

What if, on a very small piece of paper, I chose to write down… the name of a bar where I used to get drunk… a juicy bit of gossip fodder about someone that I know I shouldn’t share but I want to anyway… the date that someone in my church offended me so I can keep the bitterness in my heart toward them… the web address for a porn site I used to visit… a plan to cheat on an exam in a way that worked for me once before… an ex’s phone number… the basic outline of my plan to avenge myself and deliver evil for the evil that was done to me…?

What if I take that small piece of paper and try to tuck it away discreetly among the words of God, my love for my family, the foundation of faith in Jesus, and my prayer life? Does that make sense? Does packing that in there sound like a recipe for spiritual success?

The Holy Spirit said, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom. 13:14, emphasis added)

God knows that when we provide an opportunity for the flesh—no matter how small and no matter how much else we have done to make opportunities for the soul, we are setting ourselves up for spiritual failure.

In this New Year, I would plead with you to make no provision for the flesh! Do not give yourself an opportunity to sin. Pull closer to God than you ever have before, and plan to give your ENTIRE heart to Him.

- Dan Lankford, minister

- Thanks to brother Don Truex for illustrating this principle to me in such a powerful way.

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