Providing for Your Own Destruction

Are you engaging in self-destructive behavior?

Alcoholics and drug addicts have stashes. That is a rule. They have “one last bottle” in many hiding places throughout their living quarters. Most of them have one or two caches that are expendable. They are not stupid. They know that sooner or later they are going to meet an end with their loved-ones. They know that family will eventually demand that they clean up their lives. These addicts will then cry, weep, and make all kinds of confessions. They are very convincing. They will even admit hiding stashes. They will swear to “turn over a new leaf”. They will even show their loved-ones the caches and pour out the offending substances. Those caches are the expendable ones. The “good stuff” is hidden much better. But their new-found decision to change and the pouring out of the expendable caches keep you from looking too closely for any more.

Why do they have caches? It’s usually because they are afraid of giving them up. They are afraid of living life without their drug of choice. So they keep it “just in case”. They make provision for their addiction.

Some people will go to great expense to hide their sins. They will often go to great expense to nurture their sins too. For example, a child molester will spend days, weeks, sometimes years “grooming” potential victims.

But what about people who are not addicted to drugs? What about people who are not pedophiles? What about “ordinary” people living ordinary lives? Do you ever do similar things?

Do you “conveniently” show up at parties where drinking takes place? Maybe you go with the determination not to drink. But do you find that somewhere deep inside a part of you hopes that the temptation would overpower you? Do you secretly hope that you would get caught up in the moment so that you “just can’t help” yourself? This situation will end badly. You are providing opportunity for your own fall.

How about going on a date and sitting in a parked car or in some other place where temptations are bound to occur? You may want to be good, but you put yourself in a position where it is very difficult to be good. Are you secretly hoping to get caught up in the moment? If not, then why put yourself in that situation? You are merely providing for the opportunity to sin.

How about making vague promises? Do you tell someone you will do something but couch it in language that allows you an “out” later if you change your mind? Do you place hidden loopholes in your words? This is providing yourself a way to escape your responsibilities and still to salve your conscience. You are providing for the fleshly mind.

What about living under the false idea that your explosive temper is “just the way you are”? Or what about making excuses for your children by blaming the “teen year dramas” when they do something wrong? Or what about finding things to do at work so you don’t have to attend worship? You know the “work” excuse will keep people off your back, but was it legitimate? Or did you invent reasons to stay there? You are providing opportunity for your own desctruction.

These are a small fraction of the list of ways we provide for the fleshly mind. The Bible clearly condemns it, too. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14).