A Proverbs for May 6: Proverbs 6:32

“A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom, whoever does it destroys his own life.”

The first chapters of Proverbs are full of wisdom and warnings about the price a man or woman will pay for straying outside the bounds of martial faithfulness.

Sadly, I’ve often seen Proverbs 6:32 play out in the lives of many men.  Adultery, which is an intimate sexual/emotional relationship outside the bounds of one’s spouse, always leaves behind a path of destruction.

It doesn’t just harm two people. It destroys families.  It destroys trust.

I’d challenge each of us to examine for one week how we see sexual relationships displayed on television, movies, the media, and what we read.  They seldom show it within the happy confines of a marriage.

Seldom do these mediums stay around the story long enough to examine the wreckage left behind.  It’s a disturbing sight, leaving behind strewn destruction just like that huge tornado that churned across La/Miss/Ala two weeks ago.

Twenty-five years ago I remember a friend telling me after the “check came due” on an affair he was involved in.  He shook his head, regret dripping off every word,  “I’ve messed* in my bed.  Now, I’ve got to sleep in it.”

I can still see the pain on his face.  I also can still recall the pain it caused those around him.

I need to remember that there “but for the grace of God go I.”

I need to remember not to let the twin combustible items of “desire” and “opportunity” come together and lead me down a path I’ll regret.  Keeping desire and opportunity apart in our relationships with the opposite sex are just as important as keeping a lit match away from gasoline.

“Lord Jesus, you lived a life of complete moral purity.  If I’m going to do the same, I really need your help.  Thank you that you are doing this and that you will continue to.  Amen.”

* My friend, in his anguish, didn’t use the term “messed in my bed.”  For emphasis he used a much stronger four-letter word that drove home the pain.  I can still recall the way he said it.