One of my earliest recollections as a child was from when I was four years old. My Brother and our neighbor were throwing a Frisbee in the front yard and it went under a bush. Being much smaller than both of them, I decided to show them how much of a man I was and help them out. So I crawled under the bush to retrieve the Frisbee. It was at that moment I found out I was allergic to bees. A bumble bee was surveying the area and I interrupted his progress and evidently made him mad. He proceeded to sting me in the forehead and quickly let me know I was in an area he did not want me to be in. After the extreme pain I felt, I started breaking out in hives, my whole head, my arms, and my legs started swelling. Next I remember my Mom grabbing me and holding me in her lap in our 1966 Ford Fairlane station wagon, while my Dad sped 25 + miles to the hospital. I remember wanting to go to sleep but for some reason, my Mother kept slapping me in the face and keeping me awake. We arrived at the hospital and evidently I looked rough so they took me back immediately and placed me on a hospital gurney while several nurses and doctors poured over me and hooked all kinds of IV’s into my arms. I usually joke around this time and let everyone know that it was at this time I saw a bright light above me and felt like I was floating above the hospital gurney. Don’t go all crazy on me though, it was the gigantic light above the gurney (it was 1968 after all) and I had been given some pretty strong drugs in the IV and evidently it made me hallucinate. But I digress. After a few minutes the doctors had me under control and I was able to leave the hospital later. I did end up going to Charleston for some extended tests to find out I was allergic to many insects in addition to bees. I received weekly/monthly injections from age 4 to age 16 when the doctors decided I had had enough and was no longer deathly allergic to the list of insects. To this day, getting shots is still no big deal. The recent stings were a reminder that evidently the doctors knew what they were doing many years ago. Less than a week later from my most recent encounter and all I have is a mark or two on my arm as a reminder of my weekend conflict.
I was reading a devotional the other day and gleaned some information from it I though I’d add to and pass along.
Being allergic to things is not a rare issue. Many people are required to avoid certain things in life. While allergies are related to physical well-being, each of us as believers in Jesus have dangers we need to stay away from to maintain spiritual well-being. Scripture gives us a clear indication of what we are “allergic to” spiritually.
Every kind of evil
This should cause us to think about the choices we make, because taking part in what is clearly evil is not good for our spiritual vitality.
I used to have a man who was in a praise team with us at one of our churches who wanted to be able to play his instrument more than just at church and during our practice. He told me he was going to hang out a bar with some of his music buddies so that he could play more. I told him I thought it wasn’t a good idea because even though he may be going to the bar and hanging out with his buddies so he could “jam” with them. Being around the worldly influence of a bar could have a negative affect on him and cause him to wander from his beliefs and stray from his walk with God. He said he could handle it and after all it was only for a couple hours a week. Not long after that, he started missing practices and churches and within a couple of months never even came around anymore. Last I heard, he had divorced his wife and moved in with a girl he met at the bar. We can live in the world, but we have to learn to refrain from the negative and evil influences that are out in the world. Satan revels in every marriage and family that is destroyed. What seems like a minor issue can become major with just a little influence.
1 Thessalonians 5:22
Foolish disputes and arguments
Like we discussed last month, this takes discernment, for some arguments have merit in defending the faith. But those for which there is no answer or which have no bearing on truth only cause dissension. If it’s not worth the hassle or if it’s a trivial matter, turn it over to God and let it go.
2 Timothy 2:23 - Titus 3:9
Sexual immorality
I know, I’m one to talk about this but, I do have some expertise in this area. The Bible says that any sexual activity outside the boundaries of a marriage between a man and a woman is immoral.
I was taken to task about this issue a couple of years back. Being in ministry for 18 years, I’ve had several opportunities through the years to discuss sexual purity and sex outside of marriage with youth, teens, young adults, and adults. It was never too difficult of a discussion as I was married and it’s easy to tell others to maintain their purity since I was married and it wasn’t an issue for me. A few years back, God gave me (though I never asked) the opportunity to be single again and low and behold, I was now faced with the issue personally. Would my stance on the issue change, or would I stand firm to the teachings that I had poured out for so many years. I was chastised about maintaining my stance and even had one say, “Don’t you test drive a car before you buy it?” My reply was, “Yes, but I don’t plan on making a life-long commitment to a car, nor do I pledge vows to my car and God that I’ll never drive another car but that one”. It’s not always an easy road to travel, but with God’s help and direction I’ll stay the course.
We may change, our lives may change, our situations may change, but God’s Word does not change. What was written 2000 years ago in his Word is still the direction He wants us to take. If we follow His teachings, we cannot help but be blessed and draw closer to Him. As I stated, it’s not always easy or popular, but it’s always right.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 - Genesis 2:24 - Exodus 20:14 - 1 Corinthians 7:2 - Hebrews 13:4
Are we willing to make the effort to steer clear of things we are spiritually “allergic to”?
Today avoid sin’s tempting lures and evil thoughts subdue,
Or sinful things may take control and someday master you! —Bosch
To avoid sin, nip it in the bud of temptation. (thanks, Barney Fife!)
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1 Thessalonians 5:22 (New King James Version)
Abstain from every form of evil.
Timothy 2:23 (NJV)
But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
Titus 3:9 (NKJV)
But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NKJV)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Exodus 20:14 (NKJV)
You shall not commit adultery.
1 Corinthians 7:2 (NKJV)
Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
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