1 Thessalonians 5:22 “Avoid every kind of evil.”
Dear Kids:
Our minds and bodies can adapt to a lot. This can be a very good thing since we can’t always choose our surroundings. But it can also create the tremendous danger of deadened senses.
Deadened Senses Bring Trouble
Every day you will come across situations where you will need to make a decision. The world is full of vices that are not healthy – what God calls sin. It may be tempting to dabble in these as you face them on a daily basis. Your mind will give you the age old excuse: “I need to know about this so I can make informed decisions.” At first, these vices may be shocking and you will feel great horror at the wickedness that you see and hear around you. But over time you will develop deadened senses and that is when your trouble begins.
The other day our company was having our fire alarm system tested. I was quietly sitting at my desk while the repair man ran his diagnostic tests in the other room. Suddenly, without any warning, a screeching sound pierced the air penetrating my ears and caused me to jump out of my seat. I grimaced and clasped my head tightly as I was sure one of my eardrums had been broken. For what seemed like quite a few minutes the blinding lights and shrieking siren continued. But a strange thing happened! After I got over my initial shock of this huge disruption, my body adjusted to the lights and sound. All of sudden the harshness wasn’t as painful as the first blast had been. Soon the noise stopped, but if it had continued for too long my ears could have been damaged.
This is the way it is with things of the world. The first time you watch a movie with foul language your whole body may grimace. But soon the obscenities will not sound so bad. Over time you may even slip and repeat one of these vulgarities in a tense situation.
The same thing will happen with immorality. The graphic love scenes so prevalent in our entertainment today will cause discomfort and embarrassment at first, but soon, with repeated viewings, these scenes will become normal and natural. The usual awkwardness will recede and soon even your ability to stand firm in personal tempting circumstances will dissipate.
Avoid Every Kind of Evil
When Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree they thought they would gain great knowledge – and they did. The problem was that they did not have the moral ability to use the information wisely. Today we also struggle with this. The things we come in contact with can affect us greatly. The Bible tells us to avoid every kind of evil. While we cannot fully extract ourselves from the things of this world, we must be careful to guard our hearts and minds carefully. If we allow them too much exposure to harmful vices they can adapt to the stimuli around them, develop deadened senses, and cause great harm.
So next time you hear the alarm go off because you find yourself in a situation that is not pleasing to God, find a way to make your exit as quickly as possible. Because if you don’t your heart and mind will adjust. And before you know it your senses will be deadened, your decision making skills will suffer and you will find yourself in a very dangerous and harmful situation.
Love,
Mama
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