The Social Consequences of Sin

April 19

(Psalm 38:11,19-20 NIV) “My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. {19} Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous. {20} Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.”

As our sin splatters out from where it hits the fan, there are various social consequences. Many struggle with the broken relationships that sin produces. It can cost us our friends and family; those who matter to us the most. You can only abuse people so long before they decide they would be better off living without you. Many are haunted by the loss of loved ones because of chronic foolishness. Once respect is lost, it is difficult to regain. And if we have enemies, we hand them a loaded gun when we sin. Our indiscretions become like lethal weapons in their hands. The financial costs can be staggering as well. We could probably put our grandchildren through college with the money we have flushed down the stool of sin. It always costs us more than we thought we would have to pay. Those who are wise will find ways to avoid sinning. It just costs too much. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Kryptonite for Every Superman

April 18

(Psalm 38:3,5,7,8,10 NIV) “Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. {5} My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. {7} My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. {8} I am feeble and utterly crushed… {10} My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.”

(Proverbs 3:1-8 NIV) “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, {2} for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. {3} Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. {4} Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. {5} Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; {6} in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. {7} Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. {8} This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

(Proverbs 4:18-22 NIV) “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. {19} But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. {20} My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. {21} Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; {22} for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.”

As time goes by, sin wreaks havoc on our body. Many today bear the scars of foolish and dis-obedient behavior. We start out strong, thinking we are Superman. We don’t realize until it’s too late that the devil has the Kryptonite. Sin is persistent and steady in its quest to rob us of our health. Sometimes it comes swiftly, sometimes it takes decades. Psalm 38 describes the physical anguish: festering wounds, searing pain, feebleness, no strength, bad heart, bad eyes, and being utterly crushed. Doesn’t that sound like fun? We have all known someone who was taken down physically by their sin. We recall their young, vibrant faces, and we lament the condition they ended up in. We have visited them in treatment and in hospitals. We have attended their funerals. Don’t be a fool. No one is Superman when it comes to sin. Everyone is susceptible to the Kryptonite. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

 

Psychological Consequences of Sin

April 17

(Psalm 38:4,6,8,9,13,14 NIV) “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. {6} I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. {8} I groan in anguish of heart. {9} All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. {13} I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; {14} I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.”

David was a man in deep psychological pain. His heart was in anguish to the point of audible groaning and sighing. He was shutting down emotionally. He had stopped listening and communicating. The silence of death was very near. He had entered the land of Depression, where we isolate ourselves and shut down so as to avoid the psychological pain. Guilt and shame can be overwhelming for the sinner. The devil never seems to mention this when he is luring us in by making sin attractive. Our conscience was given to us by God as a protection device. It is not good to consistently override its flashing red lights with chemicals, or smother it with counselors who tell us what we want to hear. We must deal with its source, not simply mask it. Turn to God. He has provided us an antidote. His name is Jesus. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Grabbed by the Back of the Neck

April 16

(Psalm 38:1-2 NIV) “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. {2} For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.”

(Hebrews 12:7-11 NIV) “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? {8} If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. {9} Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! {10} Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. {11} No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Many of us had fathers who would grab us by the back of the neck and correct us when we behaved badly. So did King David. He endured God’s correction several times. His mistakes and infidelities are a matter of public record and his sin had spiritual consequences. Even kings cannot escape that. When we ignore God’s boundaries, He will sometimes grab us by the back of the neck and correct us. David felt the weight of God’s hand come down upon him more than once. He felt God’s arrows of conviction pierce his heart. One cannot ignore the arrows of God and His heavy hand. Only a fool would try. God loves us enough to discipline us. The Lord knows that if left unchecked, sin has disastrous consequences. And while His discipline can be painful, it can also change our direction and save our lives. Listen to God. Don’t force Him to grab you by the back of the neck. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day