How Long Does it Take for Sin to Screw Up Your Life?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, May 06, 2009
- Viewed 71
- (18) comments so far
Yet, we hear stories like these everyday. Another respected pastor gets caught with his pants down. I’m tired of it.
These things just don’t happen overnight… do they? Don’t things like this take years of festering to exhibit themselves in most cases?
Don’t these pastors know they are on the road to destruction even as they march down that path? They have to. Can’t they get off that path? Are they blindly sucked in?
Sin is a sneaky thing. And Satan is the master. I have no doubt that he goes after pastors with the express purpose of taking them down. The only thing that I can imagine is that he slowly tears them down, allowing them to justify little things first, then larger things until they are constantly and consistently doing things they thought they would never do.
Of course, but by the grace of God go I. I hesitate to talk about these things because I’m not fully aware of what I am capable of in my humanness. But I do think I can safely say this. Large-scale public sins like the ones I’ve mentioned have to be progressive sins. There has to be a long trail of sins, a hidden lifestyle of sin that just hasn’t been dealt with. Doesn’t there?
I know that we have hundreds of people who are reading this. And all of you probably fall into three categories:
1. Those living a life that is honorable and who are trying to live a consistent, legitimate Christian life.
2. Those who have goofed up big-time in the past. Maybe it was an affair. Maybe it was porn. Maybe it was abuse. But it was big. From you, I’d love to hear how long it took for you to reach your bottom; and what that process looked like. Also… what saved you from the sinful pit?
3. Those of you who are on the path to a major sin. Let’s face it… you’re going down that path right now; and you know it. You’re looking at things you shouldn’t. You’re thinking about someone you shouldn’t. You’re just a few steps away from blowing it; and when the opportunity arises, you’ll probably go for it. Maybe you’ve already gone for it and nobody knows yet. You’re living a secret life that will devastate you and your family when people find out (and people WILL find out eventually).
I realize this is a pretty heavy post (along with my other one today)… but I’d like to hear your story. Which category are you in right now? (Please post anonymously… make up and name and email address on this one… it’s ok). Especially those of you in categories #2 and #3.
Is my hypothesis wrong? These things don’t just happen overnight, do they?
I've been contemplating something for some time now. Here it is: How long does it take sin to totally screw up your life?
OK... here's where I'm going with this one: One day your a prominent pastor. The next you get caught with a male prostitute allegedly buying crystal meth. One day you're a pastor, looked up to by your congregation. The next, you're caught buying and selling pornography on the internet. One day, your a beloved pastor with a beautiful wife and family that you adore. The next, you have an affair with a woman you're counseling. One day, you're a youth pastor with a loving wife and young kids. The next, you're caught exposing yourself to someone in a park.
Here's my thing: I don't think huge sins happen in one day. Tell me if I'm wrong, but you don't go from ok to exposing yourself in one day. You can't go from everything being hunky dorey with your wife and family to the next day getting jiggy with someone you're counseling. And you surely don't go one day from being happily married to buying a male prostitute and experimenting with drugs, or selling porn on the internet...
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replica watches on Fri, May 08, 2009
I hesitate to talk about these things because I’m not fully aware of what I am capable of in my humanness. But I do think I can safely say this. Large-scale public sins like the ones I’ve mentioned have to be progressive sins.
Randy Wood on Fri, May 08, 2009
Tod, Thanks for your blog.
It took me 20 years to go from 170 to 273
It has taken me 16 years (and counting) to become a really great dad
It took 18 years to become humbled and know that I am NOT Gods gift as a pastor or preacher in this world
It took 4 years to get through Bible College and earn my degree (and I know less now than I did then)
It took one look at a nude pic when I was 11 to tatt the engram of my brain
It took a years of digressive decisions to get caught up in porno.
Im free now, but that my friend has been a process and still is.
I heard someone say “Life is a process, not an event”
Thanks, and may every pastor, person know that they can be free from the “Big” stuff and the “little” stuff
Pastor Shane on Mon, May 18, 2009
One of my mentoring pastors liked to say, “Every major sin we commit is the result of a long process of wicked thinking”. I believe spiritual battles are fought, (won or lost) in our minds.
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