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| Unpopular Decisions |
| Written by Jesse Crowley |
| Friday, 15 January 2010 |
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Lemme drop this bomb on you guys: “Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream.” - W. C. Fields As followers of Christ, one fact that we cannot escape is that actively living our faith in our day to day lives is a massively counter cultural thing to do. I’ve brought this up briefly in a previous post, but I think it’s important enough to talk about a little more in depth. Growing up, I always tried to find out just how much I could get away with while still being considered a Christian. I felt like I definitely wanted to be a follower of Christ, but I still wanted to be able to live my life, fit in with my friends, and ultimately, be able to do the things that made me happy. What could be wrong with that, right? Isn’t that fair? Jesus didn’t actually want people to think I was strange did He? But the truth is, if we want to follow Christ, and therefore, be completely free from the things that weigh us down and hurt us, we need to take it seriously. The only way out of impurity is to fully commit yourself in the opposite direction, towards purity. And often it comes down to taking small steps to avoid small compromises. Small compromises add up and snowball into occasions of sin that are so incredibly tempting, that it’s unrealistic to expect ourselves to be able to easily reject them. What do these small compromises look like? Well, for example, a few of the more public ones could look like this... Watching raunchy Seth Rogen movies that implant images into your brain that take years to get rid of. Listening to, and/or dancing to music that glorifies casual attitudes towards sex Allowing yourself to get engaged in impure conversations with impure language I can see you saying to me, “What Jesse, do you want me to live inside a cave?” To which I would answer... Maybe. St. Benedict did. Though the Lord could likely be calling you to simply be a witness to those around you in your day to day life, as well. And nothing shows others how big of a deal your faith is to you than when you allow it to be the difference from laughing at a dirty joke, or to decide whether or not you’re going to leave the over-sexualized movie of the week that’s playing in the living room to go have a conversation with someone in the kitchen instead. Or when you stop things from getting too intense with your girlfriend even though she might want to keep going. Will this have an effect on the relationships in your life? Definitely. If it has a good effect, then that’s a sign that God is blessing that relationship. If it pulls you apart from your friends, your girlfriend, or anyone else, it might be a sign that those relationships are doing you more harm that benefit. A huge help can be bringing along a friend who shares your faith to whatever parties or get togethers you might be invited to. It’s a huge help to not have to stand up for your beliefs alone. In this life, it is always going to be a struggle to turn away from the tempting, popular, initially attractive option of sin. But freedom, peace, and the opportunity to live a life that will be absolutely perfect for who you are is completely worth giving up the cheap thrills of the moment. This is the price of purity. Brothers, let’s get to work. “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” -Matthew 10:39
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
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Last week I
realized- finally KNEW in the deepest and surest sense- that I can not have pornography and happiness in my life at the
same time. I'm sure I've read it numerous times in books and on sites like this one, but I've never really KNOWN it for
the absolute truth that it is. Following a really severe lapse over this Christmas break, I've finally seen the perfect
truth of it: I can have happiness, or I can have porn. If porn is the moon and real happiness is the earth, I can take
a rocket ship all the way to the lunar surface and even stay there if I want, but every inch closer I get to the moon is
another inch farther from earth; I can't be in both places at once. Similarly, I can't have porn AND happiness. It's
impossible.
So it really is true how little realizations- even failures- can add up to a true fine understanding that
pornography is the complete antithesis of true happiness and satisfaction. I think that now that I know this, it's
almost simply a matter of keeping it fresh in my head. I won't do what I know will make me really unhappy, and I
finally see that.
Thanks a lot, Jesse.