Always in a Hurry

Just a few weeks before the affair began, I found myself with a way out. I had a chance to extinguish the forest fire before it ever started. This choice would have saved my marriage. This would have allowed me to continue being the pastor of our church. I could have saved so many relationships from hurt and destruction. I didn’t take the way out. I didn’t have the courage to confide in a good friend. I kept the temptation of the relationship to myself and the fire quickly consumed everything in its path.

What I have come to realize over the past few years is that my story isn’t just my story. It is all of our stories. There is a fundamental truth about sin in all of our lives and that truth is this: Sin is never slow, it is always in a hurry.

The pace of sin is why no one ever prays about charging up their credit card beyond their ability to pay. It’s why we don’t stop and pray about downloading porn or watching that movie. No one prays about losing their temper and going off on their kids. No one ever takes a day or two to pray about flirting with the guy at the gym. No one pauses at the bar and prays right before the one night stand. No one prays about lying to their spouse and takes a few days to calculate the damage that lying will do to their relationship. No one does a quiet time and talks to God about chatting with their old girlfriend on Facebook. We don’t pray about inappropriate text messages or our excessive gambling.

Why? Sin is always in a hurry. Sin is impulsive. Sin is manipulative. It is always trying to convince you that its consequences are small and its payoff is large. The truth is that it seeks to destroy you and those you love as quickly as possible.

Sin races against logic.

Sin races against conviction.

Sin races against consequences.

Sin races against your faith.

It is never slow, it is always in a hurry.

Sin tries to convince you as quickly as possible that there is only one choice; you deserve it; no one will ever find out; you’re not hurting anyone; you can get away with it; you have needs; it isn’t that big of a deal; she doesn’t love you anyway; it’s only text messages; you’ve gone too far to go back now.

Slow down today. Talk with God. Maybe for the first time in a long time look around. Is there a sin that you’ve allowed more space in your life than you thought?

It isn’t too late. With God, it is never too late.