Firing On Your Foot

Imagine yourself taking a loaded gun, aiming it at your foot, and firing. That would be really dumb. Not only would it hurt, there would be all kinds of other inconvenient and painful fallout. First, an immediate trip to the ER. Who likes to waste time waiting in the ER? It would mean extra medical bills you don’t need. It would preclude most kinds of exercise for a time. Instead, there would likely be inconvenient, time-consuming, and painful rehab. It might affect your ability to take a shower for awhile. Working, walking, driving, sleeping, and all manner of other normal activities would be affected. 

Now, think of covetousness, or lust, as a loaded gun. When you toy around with, and especially when you buy the "greener grass" lies, you pull the trigger on yourself. You assault your joy. You do violence to contentment. You poison the present with a false future. And that has all kinds of other unhappy effects. You become more dissatisfied with the present, which makes the greener grass lies all the more appealing. And turning away from God as your portion to look for quick relief or satisfaction elsewhere always leads to dissatisfaction and regret and shame and grief. It’s a nasty, self-perpetuating, suffocating, life-sucking, joy-stealing, contentment-choking downward spiral.

Don't fire on your foot. Take aim instead at the soul-killing lies of covetousness and lust. Look up to God as your comfort and joy and refuge and satisfaction and treasure. He is enough.

Keep your life free from love of money (and other forms of contentment-stealing desires), and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb. 13:5)

Walk today with your more-than-enough God and Savior with your two feet whole.