“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” James 1:14
I was HOOKED! And the horrible part was, I hadn’t even seen how I got that way! But ‘hooked’ was the proper word and, figuring out HOW I got that way was NOT going to help me in my predicament. Getting UN-hooked now became the priority. I’d have to take up the “How to NOT get hooked again” problem later! So there I was… wiggling while demons laughed!
All I did was go online, satan’s favorite tool this century. I was looking up the time the Football game started when, right there on the very same page, something caught my eye! Once I saw the time, I clicked on the words that had caught my attention, which became an image, and the hook was set! To make it worse, I turned to hook into a potential net by forwarding the ‘funny’ info on!
These modern times have made being ‘dragged away’ so easy, I don’t have to get up from my chair! And it doesn’t even have to include SIN! Each morning I set down with Jesus to work on improving my walk with Him, and each morning, searching for more information, attempts are made to get me ‘off’ track and ‘onto’ someone else’s! Even famous Bible teachers use the method.
In sales, the ‘Dale Carnegie’ method teaches that the very first thing needed before ANY sale is made, is to get a potential buyers ‘ATTENTION!’ After that comes gaining their “INTEREST.” Preachers, teachers, book distributors or ANYONE wanting to get something from me, must FIRST get my attention. So they ‘fish’ using varieties of bait. ‘Marketing is the not so coincidental term!
Jesus came along and literally placed an exclamation point on the question mark of sin. In doing so, he stated through His Word that to sin against God, I don’t even have to DO IT! All I have to do is THINK IT! This statement OBVIOUSLY makes EVERYONE a GUILTY SINNER! But it’s MY responsibility to identify MY OWN evil desires and take to Him for cleansing… PERSONALLY!
I know some might be disappointed that I didn’t include my bait and sin here. But knowing MY evil desire may also be YOURS, Jesus would rather I nip it in the bud right here and NOT spread the bait around to any other fishies. SO I apologized to the ones who got it, thanked Jesus for His forgiveness, and pledged myself to not take the bait again. Which means satan is now changing his!
What catches YOU? DO you spread it around or share your sin with others? Does that make you feel better? What does JESUS want you to do before, or after you get hooked? Are you doing it?
